Love or Law?
by WindSongEnchantment
Summary: What would happen if Shang found out that Mulan was a girl before the battle in the mountains? Would he follow the law and reveal her for who she truly is or would he allow her to continue her training as a soldier and hope that she makes it through the war undiscovered? Will he listen to honor or to his heart?
1. Chapter 1

** This is my very first fan-fiction ever! Please enjoy!**

Li Shang ran a hand over his face, exhausted. It had been another long day. Shang had decided to try and train the men using staffs. Ping had apparently recognized the weapon and had either gotten a little over exuberant or had decided to show off his skill. He single-handedly managed to knock every single man down to the ground, even having the gall to whack his General. Shang had momentarily had the breath knocked out of him before he was able to seize the staff from Ping. He had just come back from assigning Ping his disciplinary action; he was to sand down all the staffs and rid them of any dents and marks they had acquired during the day's training.

Looking back, Shang remembered the very first day of training, if you could call it training. His men had gotten into a brawl before he had even gotten a chance to meet them. Well, he had at least gotten to know Ping. That boy's first impression had not been a pretty one to his general. Smaller in build than any other man there, they had all pointed at Ping and blamed him for starting the brawl. In order to prove himself, Ping had put on a very false bravado of manliness, even trying to spit vulgarly. It had taken all of Shang's iron self-control not to burst out laughing at the ridiculous show. Instead he had ordered that their first day of training be spent picking up every single grain of rice that had been spilt in their petty fight. Shang had sat outside his tent, carefully sharpening his sword to a razor edge, and watched as the men scrambled about on their hands and knees with baskets, searching the dirt and grass for rice. He had noted those men who acted bitterly and those who took it in stride; he had kept a very close eye on Ping and his reactions.

Ping had humbly accepted the punishment and had worked twice as fast with his small, nimble fingers but the other men had taken their revenge in small ways. They would trip the boy as he stood to run his basket to where the rice was all being gathered. If he came too close to one of the men he would get an elbow in the ribs or a cuff over the head. One gangly, young man named Ling had a nasty habit of subtly tipping Ping's basket of rice so the grains would spill back onto the ground and give Ping more work.

Shang had decided that he would not put up with that sort of bullying in his camp and he hadn't. He smiled to remember the almost impossible task he had come up with for the second day. To reach an arrow at the top of a 40 foot post carrying two weights. Shang rolled over in his tent, chuckling as he remembered the many failed attempts on that day and the ensuing annoyance that they had all felt, making them comrades against a common enemy. An arrow in a post.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed chapter one of this story. I forgot to say that I do not own Mulan or any of the characters; just my own silly ideas. Special thanks goes out to my first ever reviewer Fangurl! Thank you everyone for your support! I plan on updating once a week, hopefully I can keep up with that schedule. If I come up with something I love before my deadline, I'll post it early. Like with this one. Without further ado, I now present to you Chapter 2!**

A month later found the General sitting on a hilltop near camp. He eyed the silhouette of the arrow in the post with distaste. It seemed to represent all the progress that he had made with his men, which was none. Shang didn't know what to think. He had done his absolute best with these men, gone through all the steps that his father had gone through with his training, but they weren't responding favorably. Chien-Po still couldn't swim, Yao still could not make it through the flaming arrows, Ling was still at the extreme basics of martial arts and the list just kept going. It seemed that all of the men had at least one thing that they failed miserably at and were barely above mediocre with everything else Shang tried to teach them.

Worst of all was Ping. Shang had hoped that the boy; who had seemed like such a hard-working, humble person; would show a glimmer of the talent that his honorable father had had on the field, with the proper training. Especially after that day with the staff. Instead, the boy seemed to fail at everything he set his mind to and when he began to fail too often for his liking he took to trying to cheat. Take archery training for example, instead of honestly admitting he couldn't hit the tomato in the air he stuck the tomato onto the arrow before shooting it. He couldn't stand up for himself in a fight, he couldn't keep up during their daily run, he couldn't shoot a bow or handle a sword, he couldn't even aim his cannon correctly! This particular failing had resulted in several burned down tents, including Chi-Fu's, which was not a pretty sight and had resulted in a particularly bitter report to the Emperor.

Shang couldn't understand how the son of the honorable Fa Zhou was doing so poorly. Surely Fa Zhou had given his son basic survival training! But no, the boy couldn't even strike his flint properly when he first came to training. Perhaps Ping had not been the eldest son and so had not been trained as Fa Zhou's eventual successor would have been. Perhaps the boy's older brother had passed away recently and then the conscript had come, forcing Fa Zhou to send his youngest son into the army without proper training.

It was a stretch but what other explanation was there? Whatever the reason Fa Zhou had for sending this boy, he must have known that Ping would not make it through the training. It would not necessarily be dishonorable, then, to send the boy home if his father was expecting it. Shang could not train the boy and he refused to send him to his death by allowing him to march with the army.

With his mind made up, Shang stood and descended the hill where he had been sitting and entered the camp. Most of the men were asleep and those who weren't knew to stay clear and not ask questions as Shang led Ping's horse through the camp. Hell, even the boy's horse had more talent and knew more about war than he did. Shang had run the beast through his paces to see if the animal was worth keeping in camp or if he should just send it back to Fa Zhou. It had been clear that the horse had had battle training. Perhaps the beast had belonged to Ping's father or deceased older brother.

Shang saw Ping wandering through the camp, probably heading back to his tent. He was shuffling his feet in exhaustion and rubbing at sore muscles in his arm. Shang's heart went out to the boy. He was so small and Shang had pushed him so hard to try and turn him into a warrior. The sight only furthered Shang's determination to keep him out of the upcoming war. He would not have the boy's death on his conscious.

As they drew near to each other, Shang hardened his heart and resolve and spoke the words he knew would break Ping's confidence forever.

"Pack up. Go home. You're through."

The boy's face showed disbelief and hurt, then it hardened into a prideful glare. Ping had spirit, pride and honor but he did not have the skill and strength it took to survive a war. Even though Ping didn't want to admit it, he himself knew it to be true. Without another word Shang turned and walked away, leaving the boy to his own devices.

**Dun-dun-duuun. What will Ping do now?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you everyone for your support! I think I'm gonna stick to posting chapters on Wednesdays. They're my least crazy day :)**

Shang woke to the sound of cheering. He had spent a lot of the night before agonizing over his decision about Ping and was not in the best of moods. Grumbling to himself, he stood, hastily pulled his hair back, and exited his tent, not caring what the men thought of his sleepy appearance. _Whiz, Thunk! _Shang stared in shock at the arrow that had just landed between his feet. Was his camp being attacked? No, when he looked closer he saw that the arrow was one of his own.

His men were crowded around the base of the post. Was that where the arrow had come from? Had someone finally managed to climb the post and retrieve that thrice cursed arrow? Striding forward, Shang shielded his eyes from the morning sun and stared intently at the man sitting atop the post, undeniable proof that he had succeeded. He shifted his stance so he was not staring directly into the light and finally the man's face became clear.

Ping! Of all the men he had expected to see, Ping was the last. The boy stared down at him with a small smile of satisfaction on his face. There was a challenge in the set of his chin and a calm confidence in his bearing. He had done what none of the bigger, older men could do. He had retrieved the arrow! Shang allowed himself to return the smile and nodded in acquiesce. Ping had earned his right to stay with the army, for now.

If this feat could boost his confidence in other areas perhaps his training might improve. Shang would give the boy one more chance.

Ping's smile widened at his General's unspoken agreement. He could stay!

**I know this chapter is shorter than the others so please forgive me! Even though this scene doesn't add a lot to the story I'm trying to create, it's one of my favorite scenes from the movie and I just couldn't leave it out. I promise the next chapter will be longer so stay with me and ride out the hurricane!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, hello! Back again with the latest and greatest (possibly). I'm sorry this is taking a little longer than most to get to the "good stuff" but I like to set my stories up a little before diving into the climax. Not to worry, though, I'm on a roll and I don't plan on stopping or slowing! Big thanks goes out to all my wonderful reviewers and followers for sticking with me! You guys are the greatest! ****J**

With an "oomph" Shang found himself flat on his back in the dirt. Rubbing his chin ruefully he grinned up at the boy who was standing over him, holding out his hand to assist Shang to his feet. Ever since reaching the arrow, Ping had steadily improved in his training. He could now hit his target with his bow, use his staff with proficiency, aim his cannon correctly, and keep up during their daily run. Now Ping had proven himself to be a worthy adversary in mixed martial arts as well. He was extraordinarily fast and stronger than he looked, making him easy to underestimate.

Shang took the boy's hand and surged to his feet, still grinning.

"That was an excellent kick." He praised.

The boy blushed slightly and murmured, "Thank you, Sir." He looked down at his shuffling feet then glanced back up and returned his General's grin, "You're not so bad yourself." He joked.

Shang laughed and ruffled the boy's hair roughly. Ping tried to duck away but Shang pulled him into a headlock and marched him back to the encampment for dinner. He, like most of the men, liked to treat Ping as the younger brother he never had; teasing him and playfully shoving him around. Of course he never forgot their more important relationship as General and Soldier; when he gave an order he expected it to be obeyed; but it was good to lighten up and have a little fun as well.

Ping wasn't the only one who had improved dramatically. It seemed that his success boosted the confidence of all the men. If, after all, the youngest and seemingly weakest could do it, so could they. Ping had become closest to three of the other soldiers who had also been struggling; Chien-Po, Yao, and Ling. Together those four were a formidable force.

Shang was proud of all his men. They had finally completed their training. He decided he would give the men an early night and give them a chance to relax. Maybe he would join them later for a swim in the small lake nearby.

After Ping had retrieved the arrow from the post, Shang had decided it would be a good time to move the camp south to hold off the oncoming chill of winter for as long as possible. This also gave them more time to refine their skills without fighting the snow and cold as well. Now it was time to move again and join the rest of the army in defending the Tun-shou Pass. All he had to do now was tackle the problem that was Chi-fu.

**I'm building up to something big here! I won't say anything more. Don't want to spoil the surprise ;) Please let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! Sorry I was a little late getting this one out there, I just had to make sure it was perfect and of course life has a way of getting crazy right when you need it to remain calm. :P Once again thank you for all your reviews, follows, favorites, likes, thoughts etc.! This has been such an amazing experience and it's just going to get better from here. I had A LOT of fun writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!**

After eating dinner, Shang still did not know how to defend himself and his men against Chi-fu's sharp tongue. He wasn't sure how he was going to convince the stubborn mule of a man that they were ready to join his father. According to that stickler's reports, the men that he had worked so hard to train and turn into a formidable army were no more than helpless children playing with dangerous weapons they didn't know how to use. If Shang's father were here and saw how that man was treating his son with blatant disrespect, there would be hell to pay. But Shang's father wasn't here and Shang refused to wield his father's reputation like a sword and mow down any resistance before him. He had seen other men do the same thing and had seen how no one truly had any respect for them, only resentment and fear. Shang refused to be one of those men.

Of course none of that helped him figure out what he was going to say to convince Chi-fu! He had spent the last hour or so pacing agitatedly in his tent and was still no closer to coming up with what he needed to say. Yes, he was the General and his word should be law in his camp, but Chi-fu had the backing and blessing of the Emperor and was not afraid to wield that power with a vengeance when it came down to it. Rubbing his forehead in aggravation, Shang decided that what he needed was some fresh air; perhaps he would take that swim now.

He quickly threw on his robe, grabbed his soap, and strode down to the lake barefoot; not even bothering to tie his long hair back. He was just going to strip at the lake anyway, so there wasn't a need for propriety of appearance now. No sounds came from the lake but it was still fairly early, the last rays of the sun were just disappearing from the sky. When he reached the shore he stepped into the surrounding reeds to give himself at least the illusion of privacy as he undressed, wet his soap down, and began to lather it over his body.

He was just about to step out into the lake to rinse off the soap and enjoy the cool water when he heard a voice. He stayed where he was in the reeds, crouched slightly so as to stay better hidden. The voice came again sounding closer and, oddly feminine?

What was a young woman doing out by herself so late at night? Shang didn't think there was a village nearby. The person finally came into view and Shang was surprised to see Ping leading his horse down to the water. Now it made sense, Ping's voice had yet to deepen and so, due to its higher pitch, Shang had automatically thought it was female.

The boy was talking to himself as he patted his horse down, scooping water up from the lake in his hands and splashing the beast. After the horse was thoroughly rubbed down, Ping stepped to the far side of the horse and Shang saw the boy's clothes fall to the ground. Over the horse's back, Ping's head and bare shoulders were visible as he pulled his hair down from its topknot. He spoke as he wrapped the ribbon into a neat roll around his fingers.

"Just because I look like a man, doesn't mean I have to smell like one."

Shang bit back a bark of laughter. Ping was the furthest thing from manly that he could see. It fit the boy's personality to be particular about his personal hygiene; unlike some of the other men who were starting to stink to high heaven. Although the fact that the boy was speaking to himself out loud was a little worrisome. Had he lost his sanity somewhere along the way during training? It wasn't unheard of.

"Mushu, if you're so worried go stand watch!"

Who in the world was the boy talking to? Could he be talking to the horse? Shang couldn't remember the beast's name. He thought it had started with a 'K', though. Shang's soap suddenly slipped through his hand and fell into the mud at his feet. With a muttered curse he bent and picked it up, trying to save as much as he could from the dirt. When he was standing once more, Ping was swimming in the lake.

Shang had just decided to join him, and finally wash off the soap he was covered in, when he heard loud whooping and yelling coming from the direction of the camp. Ping heard it too. The boy stood and spun around in surprise, before ducking into the water.

Shang felt as if a horse had kicked him in the gut. All the air left his lungs and he felt the blood drain from his face.

**And there is the inevitable cliff hanger. Every story has to have at least one, right? lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know after that dreadful cliffhanger you are all dying to discover what Shang saw ;) So I won't make you wait any longer! Ladies and Gentlemen it is my great honor to present to you the long awaited…CHAPTER 6!**

Shang could only stare in shock as Ping desperately grabbed a lily pad for camouflage. He could not have seen what he had just seen. It just couldn't be possible. Even as he tried to deny it, Shang knew there was no use lying to himself. That had been no hallucination.

"Hey Ping!"

Shang cursed. He had completely forgotten about the other men who had come down to the lake. Ping was in the process of trying to hide behind a rock when they approached. Shang's hands balled into fists as he watched, unsure if he should intervene. He had no idea what he could do to help, or why he even wanted to help. He should feel betrayed and angry. Shang had taken the youth under his wing, put all he had into training him, even begun to like and trust the boy he thought he had come to know so well.

Only now, Shang didn't know. How were you supposed to react when you found out that the boy you treated like a younger brother was not even a boy at all? The girl was trying to keep herself covered while remaining as casual as possible. She had deepened her voice to sound more like a male, but it was only a matter of time before she was discovered.

"And I am Yao! King of the rock! And there's nothin you boys can do about it!"

Despite how dire the situation was, Shang almost laughed as he watched the girl discreetly cover her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at Yao's nudity as he stood confidently on a rock. He wondered how Yao would react if he realized he had so blatantly revealed himself to a young girl.

Shang's attention was drawn back to the group in the water as the girl tried to make her escape only to be cornered by Ling as he tried to get her to fight Yao with him. When Ling started tugging on her arm, Shang had to quell a very strong urge to march out there and deck the idiot. He had actually taken his first step out of the reeds when Ling suddenly screamed, "SNAKE!"

All three men yelled and ran through the water towards the nearest rock. The girl, on the other hand, let out a piercing whistle. Her horse galloped into the water to her and the girl quickly grabbed the blanket draped over the beast's back to cover herself as she stepped out of the water, using the horse's bulk to shield her identity as well.

Shang still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Ping was a girl. A GIRL! What was a female doing in his army? How could she do this to herself and to him? What was he supposed to do now that he knew? The law stated that she must die. Shang automatically baulked at the thought. He had grown to like the boy he had trained. He admired the girl for her strength and determination, even as he felt anger at her for betraying him and his men in the worst possible way. Ping, if that was even her name, had proven herself over and over again in training. She worked harder than most men to earn her right to stay and yet, because she was female, what she did was viewed as a crime.

Shang knew what his response should be. He knew what he had to do. He had never broken the law or any protocol in his life. It was what had gotten him so far, so fast in life. So why was he contemplating going against everything he knew, everything he was, for one girl? Why was he even weighing the risks and punishments he knew would occur if he kept her identity secret? If she was discovered and word somehow got out that he had known, it would not just be her death he would be facing; it would be his own.

He couldn't make this decision on his own. He needed another to discuss this with. If his father were in camp he would not hesitate to go to him. His father had always been fair and just. Perhaps he would find a way to quietly confront the girl and then dispel her from the camp in a way that would not dishonor her or lead to her death. But the great general wasn't here. This decision was up to Shang and Shang alone. However, he might be able to get some advice on the subject from someone who had the trust of the Emperor himself.

**Now who could that be I wonder? Guess we'll just have to wait and see! ****_Mwah ha ha ha ha!_**

**(Is that how you type evil laughter? *shrug* I'm sure you get the idea!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry I was severely late getting this one out there. My writing schedule may not look much like a schedule anymore in the upcoming weeks due to a family emergency.**

**I will try my best and persevere,**

**however grim future storms may appear.**

**My apologies, I tend to wax towards poetic**

**When faced with adversaries I can't predict.**

**I'm a little rusty with my poetry, but that wasn't too bad, right?...maybe?...Ahem, Anyway!**

**This chapter felt like it was wrestling with me the whole time I was writing it. It was a tough one but I think I beat it into submission! Lol. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for all your support!**

Having made up his mind, Shang quickly marched into the shallows of the lake and efficiently finished washing. Afterwards he threw on his pants and robe and headed back to camp, tying his hair up and out of his way as he went.

He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to approach Chi-fu in this matter but he knew it was essential for him to do so quickly. Should he treat the issue just as a question asked out of curiosity, pretending it was a fake scenario that he wanted to be prepared for none-the-less? Or should he come right out with the truth? Still unsure, he found himself pacing hesitantly outside Chi-fu's tent.

"I can hear you pacing out there, Captain. Come in before you create a crater outside my tent!" That annoying voice hollered.

Squaring his shoulders in determination, Shang strode through the tent flap, bending slightly to get through. Chi-fu was waiting for him at his desk. He was finishing up what Shang assumed was yet another report. Without even looking at the young man, Chi-fu flapped his hand at a nearby stool saying imperiously, "Sit."

Hoping to get on the man's good side; if he had one that is; Shang sat quietly and patiently waited for Chi-fu to finish. The man was purposely trying to test his patience by drawing this out for as long as possible but Shang was having none of it. He sat and stared at Chi-fu blankly, knowing that it would unnerve the man.

He was right, within a couple minutes Chi-fu began to squirm and threw a couple of angry glances at Shang. Finally he threw down his writing brush and gave Shang his full attention.

"I know what you're here to discuss, Captain."

"Do you?" Shang asked, surprised. Did Chi-fu already know about the girl? Why hadn't he come forward with the information? Maybe the man had already come up with a solution for the problem.

"You have come to try and convince me that your men are now soldiers, haven't you!" Chi-fu hopped to his feet and pointed an accusatory finger in Shang's face.

Taken aback, Shang could only nod in reply. He had become so distracted by the girl that he had completely forgotten about the problem he had originally been trying to solve.

"You think your troops are ready to fight!? Ha! They wouldn't last a minute against the Huns!" Chi-fu screeched

"They've completed their training." Shang stated, knowing he had come into this particular battle unprepared but willing to try and fight it out anyway.

"Those _boys_ are no more fit to be soldiers than you are to be Captain! Once the General reads my report, your troops will never see battle!" Chi-fu crowed triumphantly.

Chi-fu's jab roused Shang's anger and he found himself reaching for the man, ready to strangle the fool, but stopped himself by grabbing the writing board instead. "We're not finished." He growled out.

Chi-fu narrowed his eyes at him and stated calmly, "Be careful, Captain. The General may be your father but _I _am the Emperor's Counsel. Oh, and by the way, I got that job on my own. You're dismissed!" He finished imperially as he held aside the tent flap to show Shang the way out.

Barely holding his temper in check Shang strode out of the tent only to see the very person he had wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Hey! I'll hold him and you punch!"

Shang barely registered what the girl said, he just knew he couldn't look at her. If he did it would bring back memories that were the furthest thing from honorable. After all, he had _seen_ her. Only her husband should see what he had seen. He blushed as his thoughts took him in the direction he was trying desperately to avoid. He quickly marched past her, hoping the darkness hid his face from her view.

"Or not." He heard her mutter behind him. Shang wished that would be the end of it but he knew Ping, the boy was a little chatter box once he warmed up to you, just because the boy was now a girl in his eyes didn't suddenly change her behavior. Now she was probably wondering what she had done to upset him. Sure enough, her clear voice rang out once more from behind him.

"For what it's worth! I think you're a great Captain!" Shang paused; those hadn't been the words he was expecting. He had been ready for questions that he would not answer, accusations he would have to walk away from. This girl continued to surprise him. She had done nothing but offer him her support even when he had shunned her for no apparent reason.

Keeping his gaze carefully fixed away from her, he turned his head and nodded slightly, hoping to show that he acknowledged her words and appreciated them. He was still angry with her for her deceitfulness but now was not the time to be petty, especially since she didn't know that he knew her secret.

Turning away from her once again, he made his way through camp towards the relative privacy of his tent. He could lose his composure once he was there and away from prying eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys. Been a while. Sorry bout that. Family stuff. Holiday fun. Anyway, here's the latest! Hope you like it! **

An hour later found Shang pacing agitatedly once again. It was becoming a habit of his. The worn spot on the ground within his tent was testimony to this. No matter how fast or how far he paced, though, the problem was still there; circling in his mind again and again and again were the same questions. Why did she? How did she? And more importantly, what should he do?

Shang now knew that it would be incredibly dangerous to approach Chi-fu with this matter. The man was arrogant, well-connected, and a stickler when it came to rules. If he ever discovered that Ping was a girl he would demand her immediate execution and Shang would have to follow through; even if he told himself over and over that he could not allow that to happen.

He still couldn't figure out why he felt so strongly about this matter. If someone had asked for his opinion about this subject as a non-objective 3rd party before he knew about Ping, his answer would have been the same as Chi-fu's. Now however, he had a face to put on the betrayer and he found himself unwilling to follow the laws that had governed the land long before his birth.

Every time he even contemplated the idea of the execution he flinched. To picture the look on Ping's face as his sword swept down towards her exposed throat made him feel sick. He knew that he could never face living with that. His conscious would not allow him to.

Then there were the other thoughts that kept invading his mind. The ones he was desperately trying to push away. When he allowed his thoughts to wander away from the problem itself they always began to replay the moment he found out about her. He could still see her rising from the dark water, the silver light from the moon illuminating her skin, seeming to emphasize its soft whiteness. Her hair dark as midnight and dripping droplets of silver water across her collarbone and further down her body. Her gentle curves had been completely bared to him in a moment of intimacy that he wanted to relive again and again. The picture in his mind made him long for something he knew he could never have.

Shaking his head and growling in frustration, he quickly sat and rested his face in his hands. He needed to redirect his thoughts to something else, anything else. He couldn't be thinking of such dishonorable things. What would his father do if he knew his son was thinking such thoughts about a criminal, even if she was a beautiful woman?

"Captain! Urgent news from the General!" Chi-fu burst through the entrance of Shang's tent trumpeting his announcement and waving a roll of parchment around wildly. "We're needed at the fight!"

Shang didn't need to hear anymore. Either Chi-fu had seen the light and had written the letter himself to give him an excuse for going against what he had originally declared, or Shang's ancestors had finally decided to answer his prayers; Shang didn't care. This was exactly the kind of distraction that he had needed and in a flash of inspiration he came up with a plan to try and give Ping an honorable way out of the army and the encroaching war.

Even though he felt happy that he had finally thought of something, for some reason his heart ached with the thought of having to see the girl leave. Shang didn't allow himself to dwell on it though. He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer that he would come up with to explain the odd symptom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone, I'm so sorry for the long wait. I want to thank you all for you're up-building reviews, they really helped get me back on track! Thank you so much for following or favoriting this story of mine. I cannot believe that we have made it this far! This chapter is quite long, a gift to make up for how much time has passed since the last time I updated. I hope you like it!**

The next morning found the camp buzzing with activity. News had traveled fast and everyone was working together to strike the camp and load everything into wagons. It was a long, tedious process. All the canons had to be stacked neatly with padding around each one to avoid jostling or friction with another cannon. If even one canon lit it could set off a train reaction with massive repercussions.

Then there were the tents and other weapons. Shang's father had always insisted that these be split up between two or three different wagons so that if one wagon was lost they would still have enough tents to share among the men. Shang fully agreed with this.

Of course there was also the food. Each man's pack held three days of rations for emergencies and then yet another wagon held the rest. Water and food for the horses wouldn't be too difficult to find along the route that Shang had planned out with Chi-fu the night before. With any luck, Shang calculated that it would take them three days to reach his father and the rest of the army.

As Shang marched through what remained of his camp he couldn't help but be proud of his men. It had taken a lot of hard work to get them to where they were today. They were efficient, hard workers who respected themselves and respected each other. They were men he would gladly fight alongside and each one could now make the claim that they had brought honor to their families and their country. To put it plainly, they were now an army in every sense of the word. There was just one problem nagging at the back of Shang's mind.

He found the source of that problem loading baskets of food into its wagon. Ping. He knew what he had to do but he knew that he wouldn't enjoy a moment of it. Heart in his throat he approached the girl. When she didn't notice him he cleared his throat roughly.

"Ahem..hem."

Ping spun around quickly, nearly spilling the food she was carrying.

"Captain! I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you. Um…that is I didn't notice you, um...Not that your presence isn't very commanding or anything, um.."

Shang almost laughed at her flustered response and Ping must have seen his lips twitch as he tried to keep a straight face because her eyes narrowed slightly and she quickly regained control of her stuttering.

"Sir! Was there something you needed, Sir?" And just like that, Shang was looking at the perfect soldier. Her face was calm and collected but serious and attentive. She held herself carefully at attention and stared straight ahead, ready to receive her orders.

"At ease." He stated. She relaxed slightly and turned her head to meet his eyes. "I would like to speak with you in private about something, Ping."

As he finished speaking the girl's eyes shifted away from his face to look at the ground, her cheeks flushed slightly pink, and she started rubbing the toe of one shoe into the dirt.

"Captain, if it's about what I said last night I know I was out of line and I'm so sorry. I promise it won't happen again. I was just trying to make you smile."

"Actually, Ping, I'm happy that you said what you did last night. It reminded me of something important."

"What is that, Sir?"

"Come with me and I'll tell you."

With that Shang walked away back through the camp. He didn't look to see if Ping was following him, he didn't have to. Even with all the chaos in the camp right then, he swore he could hear her soft footsteps behind him. He led her to his tent and opened the flap for her to enter before him.

"Captain?" Ping asked curiously once the entrance was secured and they had as much privacy as Shang could afford them.

Shang took a seat on the floor behind his writing table and gestured for Ping to sit across from him. The girl did so, lowering herself with unconscious grace to her knees, her hands folded serenely in her lap. It made Shang's mouth go dry and made him wonder how he had not noticed the little things she did that pointed to the fact that she was indeed a female.

After a moment, she seemed to notice what she had done wrong. Her cheeks flamed for a moment before she readjusted herself so she was seated cross-legged like he was, like how any man would be.

"Captain, you were going to tell me what my words reminded you of?" She inquired, her cheeks still a tad pink. Instead of answering her right away, Shang asked, "Ping, how old are you?"

"Sixteen, Sir. May I ask why this is important?"

"Ping, you are only sixteen. You're still just a boy in some ways. Your voice hasn't deepened, you grow no hair on your face."

"Captain, I am a man! A boy is considered to be a man when he turns sixteen! So what if my body has yet to catch up! Society states that I am a man!" Ping answered vehemently then he paused, "I'm sorry, Sir. I was out of line but why does any of this matter? Why bring this up now?"

Shang paused to collect his thoughts. "Ping you are the youngest one here. All the other men are quite a bit older than you. Even I have four years on you. To be honest, I think you are too young to be in the army."

"What!?"

"You know that we march out to join my father's army today. When we get there, we won't know what is waiting for us. We may have to join into the fight. We could be incredibly outnumbered. As one of the smallest and youngest looking soldiers, you will be an easy target for any of the Huns."

"They will be in for a rude awakening, then." Ping answered with a grin.

"You've never seen a Hun before, have you?" Ping shook her head slowly, not sure where this was going.

"For one thing, the majority of Huns are very large men. They stand taller than me and are twice as wide. They train for war their whole lives. Even their women are known to be fierce warriors. They are a violent and barbaric race. Their whole body is wrapped in muscle. In order to become a man in their society you have to kill a wolf, a bear, or a wild boar with your bare hands. Picture a man like that in your mind." Shang paused as Ping's face went thoughtful, "Now imagine facing a thousand men like that." He watched the girl's face as it paled slightly, but he also saw her lips tighten in determination. He knew what she was going to say.

"Even if I have to face a thousand of those men by myself, I will do so. I have worked so hard to be where I am. Are you saying that all of that training was for nothing? Were you planning on sending me home anyway? Why did you let me stay if you were just going to send me away? Why let me get a taste of what it feels like to be good at something, then tell me it was all for nothing? I have never been good at anything before. Back home I am a disgrace to my father, I dishonor him every day. I thought that if I worked hard enough here, if I got good enough, I would be able to go home after the war with my head held high knowing that I brought honor to his name. Knowing that I belonged somewhere." Ping paused and swiped angrily at her face but not before Shang saw the glisten of tears in the girl's eyes. His heart lurched at the sight and he had to hold himself back from trying to comfort her; although he had no idea how you went about comforting a crying girl who was disguised as a boy. Before he could do or say anything though Ping suddenly looked up at him with a glare.

"I refuse to go home! I _will_ fight in the war. You will have to kill me to stop me!" With that the girl stood and strode angrily from the tent, leaving Shang speechless. He didn't know if he was angry, amused or just plain shocked; it was probably a combination of all three.


	10. Chapter 10

_Time for plan B_

After Ping had run from the tent, Shang tapped the back wall a couple times. Before too long, the men that he had stationed back there to listen in on the conversation were standing at attention before him.

"You heard?"

"Yes, Sir!" Came three confirmations.

"What are your thoughts?"

"Well, we half expected him to react this way. He has worked really hard to stay." One of the men replied.

"Do you think you can change his mind?"

A few quick glances were exchanged between the men then all three nodded in confirmation once again.

"Yes, Sir!"

Shang ran a hand over his face, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Then he remembered what could happen to the girl if he didn't take these drastic steps now.

"Then you have my full permission to do whatever you want to try and convince the boy to leave. You have until tomorrow at sunrise."

He looked up in time to see three slightly evil and mostly mischievous grins cross over the faces of Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po. Shang had to wonder what exactly they were thinking of doing as he dismissed them. It couldn't be anything too severe, after all they were Ping's three closest friends.

**So for a change of pace I'm going to change the POV for the rest of this chapter. Hope you like it!**

Mulan couldn't believe it. How could Shang do this to her? He had trained her and pushed her past all her limits and praised her when she finally achieved all her goals. He had been the one who made her feel like she could do anything. Now, however, he was throwing all of that in her face and telling her it didn't matter because she was too young! Mulan had heard the stories, Shang had been the same age as her the first time he had seen battle. The fact that is excuses were so weak and had nothing to back them up just made her angrier. Couldn't he see that she wasn't doing this just to have something to do? She had to do this!

"Hey!...Ping!...Ping!...Hey Ping!" Someone grabbed Mulan's shoulder while she was in the middle of her thoughts and in a sudden movement; she spun, caught the wrist of her opponent and bent it back at a painful angle.

"Ouch! Hey, let me go!"

"Oh! Sorry Yao. You startled me."

"You didn't hear me yelling?" Yao grumbled as he rubbed his wrist ruefully.

"Sorry." Mulan apologized again, wincing in sympathy. She had not held back when she had attacked, "Why were you yelling for me?"

"Ling needs your help hitching up that devil-of-a-horse of yours. You know he won't listen to anyone but you."

"Oh, of course. Where are they?"

"South side of camp."

"Alright, I'll head over there now. Thank you Yao!" As Mulan jogged away, Yao grinned evilly, "Don't thank me yet."

When Mulan reached the wagon it was to find Khan already hitched to the wagon but looking none too happy about it. Speaking soothingly, Mulan strode up to him and stroked his nose, then, looking around, she snuck him an apple from one of the nearby baskets. Once Khan was looking much happier Mulan started looking around for Ling. She headed towards the back of the wagon and that's when she heard them.

"Alright that should be the last of them." Po stated.

"Now all we have to do is move this wagon over to the rest of them and free that beast of a horse." Ling continued.

"It's amazing how difficult that horse can be. I don't know how Ping can control him, he's such a tiny thing."

"Speaking of Ping, what do you think of him?" Ling asked.

Mulan knew she should walk away but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She was curious to find out what her friends were saying about her.

"He's a nice boy." Po answered calmly.

"Yeah he's nice when he's not picking fights!" Ling cackled, "No, I was wondering what you think about him going to war with us. Do you think we can trust him to hold his own?"

"He's proven himself a good fighter and a stubborn one."

"True, but he's so small…and young, when I think about it. How old is the boy anyway?"

Mulan could practically hear Po shrug, "I always pegged him at around 16 or 17, but I could be wrong."

"No, I was thinking somewhere around there too."

"Captain Shang fought when he was that young."

"Yes, but that's the Captain! He's practically military royalty! He trained his whole life for that moment. Ping is, well, Ping. When he first showed up, he didn't know _anything!_ He didn't even know how to spit!"

Mulan found herself flushed with embarrassment thinking back to that first day.

"Well, I doubt that the Captain knows how to spit." Po stated solemnly.

Ling spluttered angrily for a moment before spitting out, "You're kind of missing the point!"

"I was joking, Ling. I understand what you're trying to say. Ping is too small, too young, and too inexperienced to trust on the battlefield. He will probably end up getting himself killed in the first skirmish and, because we care for him, we will probably die trying to protect him."

Mulan had heard enough. Holding back tears of anger and embarrassment, she ran away from her friends. She didn't even notice the two of them poke their heads around the side of the wagon to watch her go.

"Alright!" Ling exclaimed, holding his hand up for a high-five.

Po ignored the hand stating, "I don't feel right doing this to him. Couldn't you tell that we really hurt him?"

Ling's face hardened, "We had to do it. We may have hurt him but we are his friends and we are doing this so we can protect him. Better to have his feelings hurt now than to have him die later."

"I suppose you're right."

Both men turned back to their duties but their expressions were far from elated or happy; if what they had done was the right thing to do, why did they feel so guilty about it?

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Had major writer's block so I decided to try something new and it worked out quite nicely I think! Hope it wasn't too confusing with the changed POV. I just couldn't think of a way to get this portion of the story across while working from Shang's viewpoint.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello everyone! I'm back! Take that writer's block! Contrary to popular belief I have not died, been abducted by aliens, or simply vanished off the face of this earth in a space-time continuum! Nope, my lack of activity is due entirely to the fact that my stupid wireless router quit working and I had no access to the internet for a while and then when I finally got the router working again and really got a chance to sit down and work through my annoying writer's block … my dog decided it would be a good idea to chew up one end of my laptop charger! Crazy right? So three phone calls to customer service and $60 later I'm back at it! Whew! You'd think the universe had something against this story or something! Please accept my apologies (and my dog's, he really didn't mean anything by it) and enjoy Chapter…..uuumm….what one are we on again? Oh yeah! CHAPTER 11!**

Mulan strode away from where her friends stood. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. How could they doubt her, after everything they had been through together in training? Did they really think that she was a liability, that she could get them killed? Mulan didn't know what to think anymore. All of their doubts were suddenly piling on top of her and she found herself wondering if maybe they were right. Maybe there was some sign that she missed, a sign yelling loud and clear to everyone else that she couldn't be counted on, that she wasn't dependable. Mulan thought back to when she had been at home and realized that it was partly true.

Reaching the edge of camp she automatically made her way to a grove of trees nearby, her feet knowing the path she wanted to take while her mind remained completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Back home she was always saying the wrong things and doing the wrong things, and everyone knew to expect her to be at least five minutes late to anything. Why did she think that some military training could change that? Why did she think that she had suddenly become a better, more reliable person within a few months? Because she had finally found somewhere where she felt like she belonged?

Among the trees hung a few sacks full of straw and old scraps of cloth. Taking her stance before one she drew back her fist and slammed it into the sack again and again and again.

Who was she kidding? How could she belong somewhere when she couldn't even really be herself? She was a young woman disguised as a young man training for a war against China's most dangerous and feared enemy. Was that who she truly was? Would she be willing to spend the rest of her life living like this?

No. She punctuated the answer with a kick at the bag and a war cry. Someday she wanted to go home, return to being a female, but would it be enough? Would she ever be as happy as she was these last few months? Could she live the life of a docile woman under the firm control of a man who expected a calm, reliable wife who would always look to him for everything? Mulan already knew that answer.

As the bag swung back at her she ducked under it and attacked the one beyond it then twisted to her right and set another bag swinging with a vicious right hook.

Who was she really? Where did she belong? In the world as a man or a woman? How could she expect her Captain or her friends to put their trust in her? How could she expect them to place their lives in her hands? She didn't even know who she was! She didn't even know whether she wanted to do this! To go to war for her country and risk everything; her life, her family's honor, her home, everything she ever knew; for what!?

She continued dancing among the swinging bags; hitting one, kicking another, diving sideways to avoid a third. Sweat threatened to drip into her eyes but still she continued.

Sure, she knew that at first it was to protect her father. She knew that, but why did she want to stay? Why didn't she take the opportunity Shang gave her and leave while she could? Her father would still be safe. His honor would still be intact. Why did she want to fight? Why did she want to be here? Why was she willing to continue to disguise herself? Why? Why? Why!?

With one last vicious kick, the rope holding the bag in the tree decided it couldn't take the strain any longer and broke with a snap. The bag fell to the dirt with a thump and Mulan finally collapsed next to it. She felt a strange sense of exhilaration, seeing that bag laying utterly defeated beside her and that's when the answer hit her like a staff blow to the gut. It was so simple she could hardly believe it.

She enjoyed it. She enjoyed feeling strong and capable. For the first time in her life she felt that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. She had been the one to climb the post and retrieve the arrow. She was the one who had punched Shang in the jaw and knocked him flat. She was the one who could wield a sword and a staff. She could even make her own fire and survive in the wilderness by herself for days at a time. She was the one that just knocked this bag to the dirt with a well-placed, powerful kick. Mulan had found this strong, powerful, capable, determined woman and she didn't want to let her go.

Now that Mulan had found the answer she was looking for, she knew what she was going to do. Nothing would keep her away from this war; nothing would stop her from proving herself to her family, to her friends, to Captain Shang and to herself.

She wouldn't allow her friend's doubts to stop her. Speaking of which, what would cause her friends to doubt her? They hadn't known the person she had been in her father's house. They had only ever seen her training and proving herself to be as strong as they were. Then she thought back to what Ling had said.

He had brought up her age.

He had brought up her size.

He had questioned her ability to fight.

In that exact order.

The exact same points that Shang had told her in the same order that he had told her.

No, that couldn't be, could it? Would her Captain really stoop so low so as to order her friends to say those things to try and stop her from going? Now that she thought about it, why wouldn't he? What did he have to lose? In fact, it kind of made perfect sense in a weird way.

Well, if he really thought that would work he was in for one hell of a surprise.

_Game on._


	12. Chapter 12

**How's it goin'? So this chapter has a little back and forth between POV changes. I hope it doesn't get too overwhelming or confusing but I wanted to get the best of both worlds. Hope you like it! By the way, I know I don't tell you enough, but I love reading your guy's comments and reviews! I can never thank you enough, not even in a million billion trillion kajillion years, for your support. THANK YOU!**

"Mushu, do you remember when we first met?" It was evening and the sun had just begun to set, stretching the shadows to their breaking point, and Mulan was holding a small council of war in her tent. She had opted out of having it packed into the wagons like the majority of the men. She wanted to keep her private little world for one more night.

"Sure, what of it?"

"Could you put on a similar performance again?"

"What with the fire and smoke and shadows and stuff?

Mulan nodded and Mushu looked thoughtful then shrugged, "Yeah, I could do it again. Why?"

"I think we need to teach Ling, Yao, Po and our Captain a lesson."

"Alright, now what's going on in that devious little mind of yours?" Mushu asked suspiciously and with some delight.

"I'm thinking that they're going to try and have one more go at scaring me off tonight, but this time I think we should set up a little surprise for them."

"A surprise? How do we go about doing that?"

Mulan motioned Mushu closer and began to whisper her plan to him. When she was done Mushu was grinning evilly and rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Now _that_ is a plan! I love it!"

"I thought you might." Mulan answered with a grin of her own.

Dark had finally fallen on the camp and Yao and Po were getting into their positions for their final attack on Ping's confidence. Ling was supposed to be there too, but for the life of them, they had not been able to wake him up. The guy slept like a rock! So the two of them had finally decided to continue without him. They had made a few adjustments to the script they had come up with then headed out to find Ping's tent.

After stumbling through the dark for a while they finally found it, located just outside the confines of the rest of the camp near a small tree. With great care they approached the back of the tent and listened intently. They could hear Ping breathing and mumbling in his sleep. The nodded at each other, then Po picked up a rock and threw it at the base of the tent, where it landed with a rustling, thumping noise.

"Who's there?" Ping's voice came from the tent. They didn't dare make a sound until they heard Ping lay back down then they began to whisper in perfectly audible whispers.

Po started with, "Have you talked to Ling?"

"Yeah," Yao grunted.

"What do you think?"

Before they could go any further with their carefully thought out script, however, a light suddenly flared up in Ping's tent. This was unlike any light they had seen before, though. It wasn't caused by a match or a torch, there was none of the flickering irregularity of a flame. It was a solid ball of light that floated in Ping's tent, just above the sleeping boy whose shadowy profile they could see outlined on the tent wall. As they watched a shadow suddenly began to rise up from Ping's. As it grew taller it took on more shape until it became very clear.

Po gasped.

It was a dragon.

Then the dragon began to speak in a deep booming voice.

"HOW DARE YOU!" It roared.

Po and Yao dropped to their knees, quivering. It was clear to them that this was an extremely powerful deity.

"HOW DARE YOU IMPUNE THE HONOR OF THIS BOY! THIS BOY AND HIS FAMILY ARE UNDER MY DIVINE PROTECTION! THEY BEAR MY MARK! THE MARK OF THE DRAGON! THEY ARE BORN TO BE LEGENDARY WARRIORS AND YOU DARE SAY DIFFERENTLY?!"

"We are sorry! Please forgive us! We only wanted to protect him!"

"PROTECT HIM?! HAH! HE HAS THE PROTECTION OF A GOD! WHAT PROTECTION DOES HE NEED FROM YOU?! IF ANYTHING YOU ARE THE ONES IN NEED OF PROTECTION! FROM ME! I WILL CURSE YOU AND ALL OF YOUR DESCENDANTS FOR YOUR DISRESPECT!"

"Please! Not us! We were ordered to do it! We were told it would save his life!" Po answered.

"WHO TOLD YOU TO DO SUCH A THIING?"

"Our Captain! Captain Lee Shang!"

"AH. SO HE IS THE ONE. WE WILL HAVE TO SEE ABOUT THAT, WON'T WE?"

"You will spare us?" Yao asked shakily.

"I WILL GIVE YOU A SHORTENED SENTENCE. BUT I WON'T TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. YOU WILL HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN IT HAPPENS AND NOT A MOMENT SOONER. NOW GO!"

With that the dragon shadow sunk back into Ping's chest and the light suddenly vanished. Po and Yao didn't waste any time. They scrambled to their feet and charged headlong back to camp in a mad scramble, yelling in fear and cursing when they tripped over some unseen object.

In the tent, Mulan sat up and slapped Mushu a high-five.

"Excellent performance! I would definitely give that a ten!"

"Thank you. Thank you. I am rather amazing aren't I?" Mushu answered with a flourishing bow.

"I especially liked the part about the curse. What curse have you put on them?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and find out with them." Mushu answered smugly

Crickie chirped irritably and Mushu answered, "Yes, you did a good job too, but what use is a lighting crew without their star?"

Crickie chirped angrily but Mushu ignored him, instead talking to Mulan over the cricket's increasingly louder chirps.

"So we know it was Captain Shang."

Mulan nodded thoughtfully and answered, "Yes, it's good to know for certain."

"So now what?"

"Now we move on to our next victims."

"Victims? As in plural? I thought we only had Shang left! Just how many men do you plan on terrifying tonight?" Mushu yelled.

"Just two more; Ling wasn't with the other two. I'll take care of him. He shouldn't be too difficult to crack. Shang on the other hand, will need your … delicate touch. I leave him to you." Mulan smiled her most charming smile at Mushu who grumbled inarticulately.

"Come on, it'll be fu-un!" she wheedled teasingly.

Finally Mushu caved, "Fine, fine. I'll scare your stupid Captain for you, but you owe me big!"

"Thanks Mushu!"

As Mushu and Crickie exited the tent Mulan heard him grumble, "Tell you what though, I need a raise! Tramping around in the dark trying to scare a stupid Captain! Sheesh!"

**Hah! I love Mushu's character. He's probably one of my favorites in the movie. Right up there with Crickie who finally made his debut in this fanfiction and had some dialog!**

**"****Chirp, chirp, chir"**

**Me: I know Crickie, I'm sorry! I just wasn't sure how to incorporate you into the story but it was worth the wait and now I promise I won't forget about you! Us small people have to stick together!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone in Fanfic land! I have returned with tales brought to you from a mysterious land far, far away called My Brain! It is a scary place full of these evil creatures called Distractions and even worse, the dreaded WriterBlockers! Never-the-less, I persevered and trudged through the thick Fog of Memory Loss and the sunny valley of Its Gorgeous Outside and I Refuse to be Inside (it's a mouthful I know!). I have finally returned and present my findings to you! Enjoy!**

After Mushu and Crickie left the tent, Mulan gathered her supplies together and slipped out into the night. Most of the men were asleep by now, huddled around the campfires strategically lit throughout the camp. Very few of them had left their tents up, preferring to have a little extra time in the morning with one less thing to do, besides, it was a beautiful night to sleep outdoors. Ling was no exception, he was curled up on his bamboo sleeping mat snoring quietly, completely oblivious to the world around him.

_But not for long_! Mulan thought.

Moving as quietly as she could, Mulan edged her way around the campfire until she was just behind Ling, staying to the shadows and trying to avoid stepping on anyone or waking anyone else up. Crouching silently, she reached into the small pouch she had tied to her waist and pulled out several small, straight sticks. Using some scrap twine, Mulan quickly tied the sticks together and, for her final touch, tied a feather to one end.

Slowly, slowly she reached with the stick over Ling's shoulder and began to gently tickle his ear. He didn't move. Even when she angled the stick so the tip of the feather actually entered his ear; he didn't even twitch! Stretching out even further she attempted to tickle Ling's nose; she kind of brushed the feather across his whole face in the process and she thought she saw his nose twitch a little at the sensation, but when she quickly pulled back in case he woke up he didn't move.

Mulan sat thinking for a moment then decided to remove the feather from her contraption. Using just the stick, she gently prodded Ling's back; when that didn't get a reaction she ran the stick up and down his spine. Still nothing! With a small growl of frustration, she jabbed Ling hard in the center of the back and immediately felt guilty about it; he would definitely have a bruise. Weirdly enough, he still didn't even twitch.

Now Mulan was worried; had Ling somehow died within the last few minutes while she was trying to torture him? Mulan may have wanted to make Ling suffer a little but she hadn't wanted to kill him! Holding her breath, she listened for Ling's distinctive snore and was rewarded shortly after. Thank the Gods he was still alive! Now she could get back to trying to play her trick on him.

Her plan was to wake him up then, once he was awake, she would begin. Mulan would wait for him to lay back down and then she would make her move. She would throw rocks to make rustling noises in the nearby bushes; she would make hissing, whispering noises and draw sharp sticks across rocks to make scraping noises. Basically, any noise that would cause a grown man to shiver and wonder what was hiding in the night, she would create. Mulan's revenge was going to come in the form of a few sleepless nights. If she could ever get the silly man to wake up!

Suddenly she noticed that Ling wasn't wearing shoes. Excellent! Mulan edged around Ling until she could reach his feet. She ran the stick up and down first one foot and then another, hoping for some sort of response. Nothing!

A rustling noise interrupted her next plan of attack. She shrank back into the shadows and watched as Yao and Po stumbled into the light of the fire, huffing and puffing fiercely. As Mulan watched them a germ of an idea took root. An idea that brought a mischievous, slightly evil grin on her face that anyone in the camp would know meant trouble. If she couldn't scare Ling, there were always other options!

**Me: "Oooh, Mulan you are evil! I don't think Mushu can beat your performance…"**

**Mushu: "Well give me half a chance and I will not only beat that performance I will dance circles around it, turn it upside down, inside out and give it a twist! I wasn't even in this chapter!"**

**Me: "Don't worry Mushu, you'll have your chance to prove yourself! Promise!"**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's a nice long chapter for my fans to make up for the last one. Hope you like it! Feedback is always welcome!**

Shang sat in his tent wracked with guilt. He had heard the yelling coming from the direction of Ping's tent and assumed that his orders to get Ping out of the camp were still underway. He still wasn't sure it was the right thing to do but it was the only option left open to him. Shang had to get the girl home to her father before she was discovered or killed.

Just then the single lantern hanging within his tent spluttered and went out. Shang immediately lurched to his feet, sword drawn and at the ready.

"Who's there?" Shang called out, he assumed that this was a small prank put on by his men but he definitely wasn't in the mood tonight.

"Answer me! Who's there?"

"CAPTAIN LEE SHANG." A deep voice came from the night outside his tent.

At the same moment a light burst forth outside the back of his tent. Centered in the light was the silhouette of…a dragon?

"CAPTAIN LEE SHANG. YOU HAVE COMMITTED A GRAVE ERROR! YOU HAVE DARED TO ACT AGAINST A WARRIOR UNDER MY PROTECTION. FOR THIS…YOU. WILL. BE. PUNISHED!"

Shang slowly lowered his blade and sat back down on his writing stool, eyeing the shadow warily.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?! OR ARE YOU JUST PLAIN DUMB? I'M A POWERFUL DIETY! A GOD! A MIGHTY ONE OF OLD SENT BY THE ANCESTORS OF THE FA FAMILY TO PROTECT THEIR SON!"

"Their son? You are aware that you do not protect a male, but a female?"

"YOU KNOW?! HOW DO YOUKNOW?!"

"How did you not know that I knew?" Shang asked in return, beginning to enjoy himself a little.

"DON'T PLAT COY WITH ME, BOY! I MAY BE A DIETY BUT I CANNOT KNOW EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON ALL THE TIME! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD I'M ALREADY PROTECTING A KID HERE AND WAGING A WAR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD AND ANSWERING ALL THE PRAYERS THAT ARE LEFT AT MY TEMPLE AND…"

"My apologies. I understand you have a lot to oversee." Shang quickly interrupted what was sure to be a long and detailed list.

"DAMN RIGHT I DO! NOW HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT PING IS A GIRL?"

"Suffice to say that I saw something I shouldn't have." Shang muttered, blushing slightly at the reminder of all that he had seen that night by the lake.

"IS THAT WHY YOU'RE TRYING TO SABOTAGE ALL MY EFFORTS TO GET MY GIRL INTO THIS WAR?"

"Why do you want her in this war? It's your job to keep her safe. Wouldn't your job be easier if she were at home, marrying a good man and keeping his house for him?"

"THE EASIEST PATH ISN'T ALWAYS THE WISEST. SOME SMART DEAD GUY SAID THAT ONCE. BESIDES CAN YOU HONESTLY IMAGINE MY GIRL SITTING QUIETLY AT HOME, MARRYING A MAN WHO WOULD DICTATE HER EVERY MOVE AND EXPECT HER TO QUIETLY GO ALONG WITH IT AND KEEP HIS HOUSE AND RAISE HIS BAWLING BRATS?"

Shang almost laughed at the thought, "No, I can't"

"EXACTLY! IT IS HER DESTINY TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS WAR! AND YOU WILL NOT RUIN IT FOR HER!"

"Her destiny? What is her destiny? If you are so great and know Ping's destiny, do you know mine?"

"OF-OF COURSE I DO!" Mushu answered, slightly panicked now. How was he supposed to know the stupid Captain's destiny?

After a slight pause Shang asked, "Will you tell me?"

"OF COURSE NOT! LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE DESTINY AND MY GIRL'S DESTINY ARE LINKED. I CANT TELL YOU YOURS WITHOUT TELLING YOU HERS AND THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!" Mushu exclaimed, quite proud of his evasion of the question.

"I see." Shang stated thoughtfully, "Deity's like to make deals, right?"

"Y-YES." Mushu stuttered, surprised by the change in subject.

"Then I'll make you a deal. I'll let Ping stay if you tell me one thing of our destinies."

"YOU'LL LET PING STAY?" Mushu asked, buying for time.

"Yes." Shang answered calmly.

And that is when Mushu experienced a truly brilliant stroke of genius.

"VERY WELL. I'LL TELL YOU. MY GIRL IS DESTINED TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. AND NOT JUST YOU'RE LIFE! MY GIRL IS DESTINED TO SAVE ALL OF CHINA. SHE CAN AND WILL DO IT, BUT ONLY IF SHE HAS YOUR HELP! IF YOU DON'T KEEP HER IN THIS ARMY YOU WILL DIE AND CHINA WILL BE UTTERLY DEFEATED!"

"Save my life? How?" Just then Shang heard the sound of panicked shouting coming towards his tent.

"What is that?"

"OH NOTHING, MY MINIONS WERE JUST TEACHING YOUR MINIONS A LESSON. IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO NOW. SOME IDIOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING STUPID. UNTIL NEXT TIME!"

With those parting words, the light at the back of the tent went out, the silhouette disappearing with it.

"Wait!" Shang yelled. He quickly exited his tent, determined to find whoever had been behind it, but he was stopped when Po and Yao came stampeding out of the dark.

"We-we can't do it anymore, Captain!"

"Ping's being protected by a-a…"

"A dragon deity?" Shang asked.

"You saw it to, Captain?"

"I did. Don't worry, he and I have reached an agreement. He should leave you alone for the rest of the night. Ping is going to stay with us. Go get some rest."

With that Shang strode to the back of his tent but he was too late. There was no sign that anyone had been there.

When Mushu and Crickie reached Mulan's tent Mulan was already there, collapsed on her sleeping pallet, panting for breath and laughing in short bursts.

"That was priceless!" She exclaimed, "How did it go with Shang? Did you scare him good?"

"Oh yeah." Mushu answered with fake enthusiasm, "In fact, he said that he'll allow you to stay."

"Really?!" Mulan sat up and grinned then crashed back down with a groan, "That's great! But I'm exhausted, we'll talk more in the morning. You'll have to tell me what you did to…" Before Mulan could even finish her sentence she was out cold, much to Mushu's relief. Now he just had to figure out what he was going to tell the girl when she woke up.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello everyone! And we're back! I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry that it has been so long! Please forgive me! My sister just graduated high school so we had a lot of party planning to do. It's scary and happy to think that the baby of our family is officially done with high school! Love ya sis! (hopefully you don't get too embarrassed when you read this ;) **

**ANYWAY! Thank you so much for keeping faith in me and giving me so many fantastic reviews! I love, love, love reading them and all the feedback is really encouraging! It's so fun to hear your thoughts! Let me know what you think of the latest!**

Morning came early in Shang's camp. By the time the sun had made its first appearances over the distant mountains the last of the supplies had been loaded into the wagons, the few tents that had remained standing had been disassembled and stowed away, the men had eaten their breakfast and they were on their way with their packs and blades in hand. Mulan had been so busy working that she hadn't had a chance to ask Mushu about the night before, for which he was incredibly grateful. He still hadn't figured out how to break it to her. Mulan was happy to note the dark circles under her friends' eyes, and found herself giggling quietly every time she caught sight of them.

Yao and Po were just extremely happy to see the morning. Their night had been a strange and scary one. A night that they would tell about to their children and grandchildren for years to come. They would end up christening it "The Night of the Dragon" and, as is always destined to happen with great stories, exaggerating it beyond belief.

The two men also didn't waste any time in filling Ling in on all that had occurred. Ling, for his part, tried to laugh it off as nothing but their imagination gone wild, but, seeing the fear still lingering in his friends' eyes made him wonder. After thinking long and hard on all they had told him, Ling came up with a brilliant idea.

"Guys! Guys!" He exclaimed suddenly as they marched along, "You said that the dragon-god thing mentioned something about Ping carrying the "mark of the dragon", right?" He asked, using his fingers to make quotation marks.

Yao and Po nodded wearily in response.

Ling grinned and puffed out his chest proudly, "Well then, it's simple! All we have to do is look for that mark! If it's there it means that what you saw was true and if it's not then it's all just been some big hoax and we've got nothing to worry about!"

"Ok…but where would the mark be? I've never seen it on Ping before…" Yao said thoughtfully.

Po nodded, "That's true, but have any of us actually seen Ping without a shirt on?"

"You're right!" Ling exclaimed, "So it has to be somewhere on his torso. That would explain why he never takes his shirt off or goes swimming with us. The only time we've ever seen him was that time we caught him by surprise at the lake and he stayed under water the whole time. He probably doesn't want people to see the mark. Maybe it's really ugly!"

"Where could it be though?" Yao asked.

"Maybe on his shoulder?" Po suggested.

"No, we've seen his shoulders bare before, remember? There's nothing there." Ling quickly shot that idea down.

"Ok. Perhaps on his chest?" Po responded mildly.

"Or his back." Yao put in.

Ling grinned evilly and rubbed his hands together, "Men! I believe we have our mission. Operation "Find the Mark" will commence…NOW!"

**And here is a special little piece for all the reviewers who were really looking forward to hearing from Mushu. At first I was just going to kind of glaze over the part where he tells Mulan what he said to Shang but everyone was so eager to find out what happens I couldn't disappoint. This is my thank you for all your support! Love you all! Hope you like it!**

Meanwhile, towards the back of the long line of marching men, Mulan had finally managed to corner Mushu.

"Come on, Mushu! I told you everything that I did last night! Now it's your turn. How did you get Shang to change his mind about me?"

"I didn't do anything special!" Mushu hedged, "I basically did what you did. with a little more flair and pizzazz of course!"

"Why are you being so vague? Are you hiding something? What did you say to him?"

"NOTHING…that…important…really…"

"Muushuu!"

"FINE! I might have mentioned something about you saving his life later in the future, okay!"

"WHAT! You didn't! How could you!? How am I supposed to do something like that!?" Mulan yelped angrily.

"I don't know! Maybe we could stage something!" Mushu threw the idea out in a panic.

Mulan threw up her hands in exasperation causing Kahn to toss his head a little.

"Please tell me that's all you said." She moaned.

"Weeelll…."

"There's more!?"

"ImighthavesaidthatyouwouldsaveChina." Mushu muttered very quickly, but not quickly enough.

"MUSHU!"

(To be followed by a violent scene that is much too scary to describe as Mulan finally loses her temper with Mushu and acts on her impulse to physically attack him)

"WAAH! Not the face! Mulan, please! NO! Let go! AH! GAH! MUL-AAAAN!"

(End Scene)


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everyone! My apologies for taking so long with this update. I was spending the past week in a cabin with no Wi-Fi within a 50 mile radius for a nice family vacation. It was fun to see all the cousins and aunts and uncles again and spend time out in the sun and on the lake for the first time all summer! (pretty pathetic, I know) But after an epic battle with a paddleboat (I have a few scars from that one), surviving our crazy "Night Rides" where we go barreling down tiny trails in the middle of the woods in the pitch black on Gator carts, and almost getting crushed by a giant game of Janga I have returned with a marvelous tan and a few tales to tell. First, though, let me continue with this fine tale (Finally!)**

"Okay fellas here's what we're going to do."

Yao and Po groaned wearily. After all, Ling had been saying that sentence at least four times a day, every day, in the week that they had been traveling across China. Every single time he uttered that sentence it was quickly followed by a plan to oust Ping and his dragon symbol and every single time the plan got more and more ridiculous.

They had tried catching Ping while he was bathing, except the kid had a habit of never bathing at the same time. He would switch it up constantly every time they stopped, sometimes staying up until the moon began to set in the sky before finally finding an extremely secluded location that was impossible to sneak up on without making a ton of noise that caused the trio to give their presence away.

They had tried catching him while he was sleeping but Ping was always awake in his tent when they tried to sneak up on him. Did the kid ever sleep?

They had tried sneaking up on him while he was walking and lift his shirt up but that usually resulted in at least one black eye.

They had even tried setting up traps, like jumping on him from rocks and from behind trees or setting up a trip wire. Once they had even gone far enough ahead the night before to dig a pitfall to try and trap him that way. Unfortunately they had just caught a very angry Captain Shang who was not at all amused over their "practical joke".

"Oh, come on guys! One last time and then I promise we'll give up. Besides, this time it's sure to work! I've come up with a very simple, fool-proof plan that can't possibly fail!"

"Ok, fine! What's your brilliant plan this time?" Yao grumbled, biting the bait.

"Alright! So here's what we're going to do…"

Mulan wasn't sure what kind of curse Mushu had placed on Yao, Po and Ling but it appeared to be working all too well. All three of them had been acting extremely bizarre for the last week. Yao was picking fights by jumping on people when they least expected it and trying to pull their clothes off. Ling was much, much clumsier than he usually was, tripping people up and falling on top of them or stumbling and grabbing people to keep from falling. Then there was Po, who seemed to be having sleeping problems. He would stay up all night to practice his "sneaking skills", as he put it, or just visit people's tents in the middle of the night. Rumor had it, he also went ahead on their path and laid traps as practical jokes for the fun of it, even digging a pitfall one night!

Mulan didn't know what to do to help her friends. She thought Mushu had gone too far but when she had asked him about it he had just said vaguely that they just had to let the curse run its course. What the heck was that supposed to mean, anyway?

"Company, Halt!" The command came echoing through their ranks and Mulan brought Khan to a stop. Pulling out his grain bag, she looped it over his head so it hung in front of his nose within easy reach for him to eat. It was something Mulan had created to make traveling easier for both of them. As Khan munched happily, Mulan edged forward, trying to figure out what had caused them to stop.

Mulan gaped in amazement at the sight before her. They were on the banks of the widest river she had ever seen. It had to be at least thirty feet across and Mulan could see, even from where she was standing, that the current was moving fast. Captain Shang and one of his commanders were edging their horses further and further out into the current, carefully testing the depth and swiftness of the water. After a few minutes of this they retreated back onto dry land.

"We'll cross here. The water never reaches above chest height on a man. If you place your feet carefully and be sure not to slip we should all cross safely."

"Forward, March!" Came the command. Mulan methodically put Khan's grain bag away and made sure that the wagon was secure, all the while fighting down a feeling of dread. What if something went wrong? What if Shang was wrong about the river? Then she didn't have time to think as it was suddenly her turn to cross in the line of wagons.

The water was freezing cold, fresh from the nearby mountains and their daily snowfall. The water only reached her knees and Mulan could already feel the current sucking at her clothes and pushing on her legs. Steadying herself, she concentrated on placing her feet securely in the rocks on the bottom of the river, even going as far as to wedge her toes under them when she could. She kept a close eye on Khan and a firm grip on the reins, praying to her ancestors that they would cross safely. She passed the midpoint where the current was strongest and the water was almost to her shoulders. Her teeth were chattering from the cold and her hands had long ago gone numb, still she didn't rush. Any hurried movement could cause catastrophe if she wasn't careful.

"Hey, Ping!" Mulan glanced up to see Ling, who had already made it across, coming back towards her.

"Here, let me help!" Before Mulan could say no, Ling was there and reaching to take the reins but as he did so he stumbled and bumped into her shoulder, hard. It knocked her off balance and before she could steady herself the current buffeted against her legs. With a sharp cry, she fell and the icy water closed over her head. Even as she felt the inevitable happen, Mulan tried to keep a cool head. When she had thought there was a chance she would go under she had released Khan's reins so he wouldn't end up getting hurt. Now she tried to right herself from her tumbling ride within the current. She reached up to try to find the surface of the water but instead found her hand brushing against rocks. She pushed off of them with her hand to turn herself in the fast moving water. For a brief moment she felt air on her hands and in that moment she kicked down with both feet. Her head broke the surface and she greedily drew air into her starved lungs. It was then that she heard the most heart wrenching sound anyone could ever hear.

The scream of a frightened horse.

Shang was marching down the ranks of his men, ensuring that no one had even been slightly injured when the shouting started coming from the direction of the river. Wheeling his horse around, he charged back towards the water. The shouting became more and more frantic and he was able to pick out a name.

_Ping!_

Damn! What had that girl managed to do now? When he reached the river a group of men were wading into the river, looking down and searching frantically through the churning water. A few more, men who were his best swimmers, were swimming with the current, desperately trying to catch up to a wagon that was floating away with a struggling horse. Ping's horse.

As Shang watched, a small dark head shot out of the water downstream of the searching men but not quite as far downstream as the horse. Relief ran through Shang like a splash of cold water, the girl was a good swimmer, she should be able to handle herself just fine. Then the horse screamed and Shang saw Ping turn in the water and take off after the horse. She was between the horse and the other men swimming after it so she would be the first to reach the frantic animal. With a curse he took off down the shoreline. He watched helplessly as Ping reached the horse and began to cut the creature free of its confines with a dagger she had somehow managed to hang on to in the water. He saw when the horse finally came free and reared up in the water then came back down…directly on top of Ping.

With an inarticulate shout of fear, Shang threw himself into the river and swam out to where he had seen Ping disappear under the horse. The other men had caught up, then, and were working to calm the frantic animal and get it to shallower, calmer waters. The wagon and all the supplies it carried were lost to the river.

Shang dove beneath the surface and began to search frantically in the dark, churning water for any sign of Ping.

Mulan knew she was in trouble when Khan reared up in the water. She tried to dive out of the way as he was coming down but she knew it was too late. The only thing she could do was take in one last gulp of air and then dive as deep as she could as fast as she could to get away from the thrashing hooves. Her heavy armor helped her sink faster but even so, one sharp hoof managed to clip her shoulder and send her spinning in the water until she was completely disoriented. She tried to reach for the surface but it remained elusive. She was growing dizzy and her lungs screamed for air, she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. As blackness began to fill her vision she thought she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist but that was impossible. All the other men had been too far away to try and save her. With that last befuddled thought, Mulan lost consciousness.

**Well, there's a nice long chapter for all my wonderful fans! You guys really keep me motivated, without you this story probably wouldn't have gotten through the first couple chapters, if that. ****Hope you like it and to all those who want to see some romance I may have a few scenes tucked up my sleeves for you in the near future. Until next time!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Whoa guys! Look at this, two chapters out within three days of each other! That's gotta be a record with this story! My creativeness is really flowing tonight, I don't know what it is! Maybe there's a full moon : ) Well here it is!**

The first thing Mulan became aware of was the warmth, which was strange because the last time she remembered anything she had been icy cold. Perhaps this was what the after-life was like? Always warm? Well that would certainly be better than being cold all the time. Mulan never did like the cold. Then she became aware of the crackling sound of a fire nearby. It was a comforting, homey sound, one that lulled Mulan into a feeling of calm and peace. It reminded her of nights spent camping outside of the village with her father and Khan…

_Khan! The River!_

With a gasp of horror, Mulan bolted upright. Or at least, she attempted to but she couldn't move her arms and she still couldn't see! Panicking, she began to struggle violently and then hands were there, pulling at her bindings and stopping her frantic movements. Voices also occupied the hands.

"Easy Ping. You're alright. You're safe."

Then a layer of cloth was lifted off her face and she could see. By the light of the fire she could see the worried faces of her Captain and her friends.

"Ping?" Shang's deep voice asked gently.

"Where's Khan?" Mulan rasped, feeling as though she had swallowed the river. Speaking caused her to cough raggedly.

"Get him some water." Shang ordered someone in the background before turning his attention back to Ping, "Khan is safe. He has a few bruises and one or two scratches but they will heal given time."

"The wagon?"

"Gone. The river took it. We were lucky to save you and Khan."

Po came hurrying up with a flask of water and handed it to Ping who had wrestled one hand free of the blankets surrounding her to take it from him. After taking a few gulps, she lay back down with a sigh, too tired to try to keep herself propped up.

"Rest. We have to continue in the morning. If worse comes to worse you can rest in one of the wagons as we march."

Ping's eyes were already closed and she was almost asleep again when she whispered, "Thank you, Shang."

Shang blinked in surprise. It was the first time she had said his name without his title and he found he liked the sound of it on her lips. Strike that. He liked it much too much. Pushing away he stood and ordered, "You three, take turns watching him through the night. If anything else occurs come get me. Do not remove those blankets. We need to keep him as warm and dry as possible at the moment."

With that he turned and strode away. Of course he wanted to remain and watch over her himself through the night but as much as he wanted to he had to keep in mind that he was the Captain. It was his job to remain sharp and focused, which meant getting his sleep. If he didn't it could mean his men's lives.

They couldn't set up the tents tonight, they were still damp, but the first wagon to cross the river had held all of the sleeping rolls. Shang strode over to where his mat waited for him and lay down but his mind still churned in chaos.

He had come so close to losing her forever. His body was still shaking slightly from the sheer strain of the panic that had overcome him at the thought. When he had finally seen her in the water and wrapped his arms around her, knowing that she was still there with him, the relief that had come over him had been stronger than anything he had ever felt in his life.

Once he had gotten her out of the water, however, more trouble began to arise. She hadn't been breathing. Even when he had loosened her armor as much as he dared with the other men looking on. With no other choice he had placed his mouth on hers and breathed for her. Even though he knew it had been necessary his mind couldn't come to terms with what he had done. His father had raised him to be an honorable man, to share intimacies with no woman until he chose his wife, and here he was taking a kiss from an innocent, unconscious woman!

_No!_

He would not count that as a kiss. It had been necessary to save her life! How else could he have saved her? He wasn't about to stand by and watch another man unaware of her circumstances do what he was perfectly capable of doing! That could even open up the possibility of someone else learning about her, someone with less honorable intentions.

_And __what__ are your intentions?_

Shang thought bitterly. There was no way he could marry her. Bah! This line of thought was getting him nowhere. Even though her lips had been the softest thing he had ever felt, even if he had enjoyed the sensation a little too much, he would banish this event from his memory. It had been necessary to save her life. Her life was saved. That was the end of it!

Thank the Gods the clothes beneath her armor had remained mostly dry. He had managed to talk the men out of stripping her completely and had simply ordered them to wrap her in as many blankets as possible and place her as close to the fire as they could.

Never-the-less he had remained by her side, rubbing warmth into her hands and arms (he didn't dare touch her legs), worrying about whether or not his precautions to hide her identity would end up costing her life. It had been a great relief when she had opened her eyes and spoken to them.

He huffed out a laugh. Of course the only things she would be worried about were the horse, the supplies and the rest of the men. She hadn't even asked about her own health and she had nearly drowned! If only that girl weren't so blasted stubborn! She could have been home with her father and mother by now, safe and living the life she had been born to, but no, not his beautiful, strong, stubborn Ping!

As Shang drifted off to sleep his very last thought was this:

_What is her real name anyway?_

**I think that turned out quite well considering how late I'm writing this. I'm sooo sleepy! (yawn) Please ignore any typos or weird spelling you might find, I can't promise anything at this time of night. (yes, I'm pathetic I know). Enjoy! Good night, sleep tight, don't let anything bite!**


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning was spent taking inventory of what they still had. The first wagon to cross the river had held their sleeping mats and their food, all of which had made it safely across. The second wagon had held their weapons, their cannons and half of their tents. Ping's wagon had held the other half of their tents and whatever odds and ends they thought they might need but weren't necessary for survival. All in all, they weren't in terrible shape. All of the men had made it across alive as well as the majority of their gear. The only thing that needed to be thought out were their sleeping arrangements. Captain Shang wanted everyone in a tent if the weather took a turn for the worse.

Most of the men were easy to divvy up, the smallest men were set to sleep with the larger, and the middle men were paired up. All who were left were Ling, Yao, Po, Ping and Shang. Shang eyed the men up in front of him. There were three tents left. It made sense for Po to have his own tent, he was so large it was necessary. That left the four of them and Shang could think of only one way to ensure Ping's continued safety and secrecy. Put her with someone who already knew her secret and that someone would be him. Shang kept telling himself it was a bad idea but his mind kept circling back to one thought. He did not want any of the other men, even her best friends, to discover her identity.

Of course, if he was being completely honest with himself he would also admit he would like the chance to lay down next to her and listen to her breathing until it slowed into the rhythm of sleep. It seemed like such an innocent but intimate moment and he wanted none of the other men to have that moment, even if they did think she was a he. Shang also didn't want any other man to wake up in the morning and watch her face as she slept. He wanted every moment for himself.

But then, when was Shang ever honest with himself?

"Po." He stated, "You will have a tent to yourself." When the other men began to grumble Shang turned on them, "Unless someone is willing to share with him?" That question shut them up very quickly.

"Ling, Yao. You two will be sharing. Ping will be with me. It makes sense because Ling and Ping are smaller than me and Yao. Everyone has their sleeping assignments. Let's pack up and move out!"

With quick efficiency, everything except the soldier's daily rations and weapons were re-packed into the wagons and packs were thrown over shoulders. Within the hour they were back to marching.

**Hi Guys, I know it's been WAY too long and I know this chapter is SUPER short but I promise I will make it up to you with the next one! Hang in there!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello everyone! Inspiration has struck again (Finally!) The very least I can say about this chapter is that it is significantly longer than the last one! (Sorry about that by the way) Please enjoy and keep up those great reviews. I can't say it enough, you guys are my inspiration, my adrenaline, my kick in the rear and the absolute best! Thank you ****J**

Mulan was close to collapsing from sheer exhaustion by the time they finally stopped to set up camp. Her mind was so muddled that she didn't even register the order to halt and kept marching right into Po. When she almost fell after bouncing off the guy, Yao managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright, Ping?" He asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Yao. Thanks for catching me." Mulan got her feet under her and began to stumble over to where Khan waited patiently to be unhitched from the wagon. After fumbling around for a while, she managed to get Khan untangled and led him over to where the other horses were grazing. She quickly rubbed him down, careful to avoid the scratches that still hadn't healed and gently checking for any other unusual lumps or bumps that hinted at a more serious injury, but everything was as it should be. Mulan shivered to think how close she had come to losing her dearest friend. Khan whickered quietly and Mulan leaned against his side, just enjoying his company and his warmth.

She jerked awake when Khan sidled forward a step or two. Somehow she had managed to fall asleep standing up. That was a first! Gently slapping her face to try and wake herself up, Mulan made her way back to the camp to set up her tent, only to find that someone else had already taken care of it. It was only then that Mulan remembered that it wasn't just her tent anymore, it was her Captain's. With a sigh of resignation, Mulan located her sleeping mat and blankets and dragged them over to the nearest fire. Laying down, she closed her eyes and only woke up when Ling shook her, helped her sit up, and handed her a bowl of rice to eat for dinner. After that she collapsed back onto her mat and sunk into sweet, blissful nothing.

Shang marched through the camp until he reached the tent that he and Ping would be sharing from now on. There he stopped, staring at the closed entrance with a feeling of anticipation and dread. What had he been thinking? Well, it was pretty obvious he hadn't been thinking at all. Now that he saw it, the tent appeared smaller than he remembered. How close would they actually be? Shang saw the space between them disappearing in his mind. Shaking his head at such nonsense, Shang squared his shoulders and nodded decisively. There was nothing he could do about it now. All he could do was be a man and enter the tent.

With one last deep breath, he swept the tent flap aside and bent to enter, expecting to find Ping already asleep on her half of the tent, only to find nothing. The only thing laying on the ground was his sleeping mat and blanket. Shang frowned in confusion. Where was she?

Trying to fight down the feeling of dread filling the pit of his stomach, Shang quickly exited the tent and began prowling back through the camp. Most of the men had already retired to their respective tents, worn out from their forced march. A few were still gathered around the fires spread sparsely among the tents, either eating or deciding to take advantage of the still fairly-warm weather and laying their sleeping gear around the fires.

He finally found her curled up on her sleeping mat, beneath her blanket, next to a fire guarded by the sleeping forms of Po, Yao, Ling and a few others. She was so tiny compared to the other men sprawled around her, Shang almost missed her. Moving quietly so as not to wake the others, Shang crouched next to her and gently shook her shoulder. She moved away from his touch, mumbling incoherently and curling in tighter on herself. Shang sat back on his heels and considered the situation. He could either leave her to sleep, try to wake her up again or he could carry her back to their tent and hope she didn't wake up.

Shang didn't want to leave her out here. If the fire died down the night would grow quite chilly and, considering that she still wasn't completely recovered from her dip in the river, there was a chance she could get sick and that was the last thing any of them needed. Leaning forward Shang tried to shake her awake again, but to no avail. Poor thing must be thoroughly worn out from all the marching. Afterall, she had refused to sit in the wagon for even a few moments to catch her breath like he had suggested, the stubborn girl.

With a sigh that was almost a groan, Shang took the only course of action left to him. Moving slowly and carefully, Shang slipped his arms under her back and knees and gently lifted her into his arms. Balancing her on his knees he made sure her blanket was wrapped around her securely before taking a firm hold on her once again and standing up.

Moving slowly so as to avoid jostling her, Shang made his way back to their tent and laid her down on his sleeping mat. He then went back to where she had been to retrieve her sleeping mat. When he returned it was to find that she had shifted in her sleep until she was sprawled on her back, arms and legs a-kilter, across the width of the tent. Who knew such a little thing could take up so much space!

There was still just enough space by the door for Shang to spread out her sleeping mat and make himself comfortable. Laying on his side facing her, he bit back a chuckle at her odd sleeping position. As he had settled in she had shifted again. Now she was laying on her stomach, arms and legs spread eagle, her blankets twisted around her and her face flat against her mat. Watching her brought him a sense of peace and happiness and as his eyelids drifted close, Shang had to wonder what the morning would bring for both of them.

**Hoped you like it! More to come and I will try to write as quick as my little fingers can!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay so some might find this to be a little on the cheesy, cliché side but I just couldn't resist. Besides, I'm from a certain state full of people who love cheese (They even wear it on their heads! lol) So I think I have a perfectly logical and viable excuse :)**

***Bonus Points go to whoever gets my oh so clever little reference and names the state ;) * **

**Any hooow…Let's get to the good stuff, ya?**

Mulan woke up warm and comfortable for the first time in a while. The temperature had dropped as they had marched closer to the mountains and her little dip in the river certainly hadn't helped. So to wake up truly warm was a luxury she did not want to let go of in any hurry. Keeping her eyes tightly closed she snuggled deeper under her blanket and sighed happily. It was only after taking another deep breath that she noticed the scent surrounding her; it was warm and clean yet musky in a way. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled before, comforting yet strangely disturbing. Mulan couldn't figure out what it was until the sleeping mat under her cheek…moved?

Mulan lay absolutely still, hardly daring to breathe, trying to figure out what was going on and where she was exactly. She slowly ran her hand over the material that was under her head. It felt like cloth but there was something warm and solid beneath the cloth. As she moved her hand something suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to whatever she was laying on. Mulan instinctively reared up against the force holding her down. The movement pulled the blanket away from her face and finally revealed the full situation to her.

She found herself sitting on a man's rock-hard stomach, straddling his body with her thighs, and not just any man. Her Captain lay under her, hands contently folded behind his head, watching her with extreme amusement written all over his ridiculously handsome face. Wait…did she just admit to herself that he was handsome?

"You know, Ping." Shang stated amiably, "I've woken up to my fair share of strange occurrences but I've never woken up to a fellow soldier attacking me after they mistook me for their pillow."

"Sh-Shang! I mean, Captain! W-what happened? I don't understand…" As Mulan stuttered she quickly attempted to stand up but ended up planting a knee where any man in his right mind desperately avoided getting hit. Of course Shang automatically reacted by trying to double up on himself, which caused him to smack his forehead off of her's, resulting in a mass of flailing limbs as they both tumbled back to the sleeping mat groaning in pain.

"I'm sorry!" Mulan moaned in humiliation even as she clutched at her own head where she was sure there was going to be a bruise.

"It's alright." Shang bit out, trying to get a hold of himself and curb his angry reaction. The girl couldn't help that she was naturally clumsy, now could she? **(A.N: Trust me, you can't. As the Queen of Clumsiness, I would know!)** "Here. Let me." Moving quickly so Ping didn't have time to react, Shang rolled so that he was on top and she was sprawled out beneath him. There he paused, drinking in the sight of her in the morning light filtering through the tent canvas. Her hair had come loose from its top knot. Tendrils of midnight brushed her cheeks and swept across her neck. Her skin was darker than most women's because of all the time she spent training under the sun but Shang found he liked the warm color better than the milky white women seemed to prefer. Her hands still covered her forehead and eyes, hands that were small but strong and marked by a few white scars across her knuckles. Her tunic had also loosened slightly during the night, giving him an unrestricted view of her collarbone and the delicate hollow at the base of her throat. He gulped when he focused on her red, luscious, extremely kissable lips, which were at the moment turned down at the corners.

Before Shang could do something really stupid he pushed off of her so he was standing, then reached down a hand to help her up, gripping her arm and pulling her to her feet. There was an awkward silence in which they just stood in their tent looking anywhere but at each other. Then Ping muttered something about needing a drink and quickly stumbled past him and out the tent entrance.

Shang rubbed a hand over his face and growled inarticulately. Today was going to be a _very_ long day.

"CAPTAIN!"

And it was about to get a whole lot longer. With a heavy sigh Shang exited the tent, grateful that he had decided to sleep in his tunic instead of his usual shirt-less.

"Captain!" Chi-fu called again as he marched up to Shang, his face red with anger. He was clearly in one of his moods which seemed to happen all the time.

"I will not stand for it, Captain! I will not spend another night in that tent with that man! You go too far in thinking that you can force the Emperor's Counsel to sleep in a tent with a mere foot soldier!" Chi-fu ranted, standing toe-to-toe with Shang and yelling right in his face.

"You're absolutely right, Chi-fu." Shang responded calmly. Taking the wind out of Chifu's sails before he could really get going.

"I-I am?" Chi-fu asked, stunned at the young Captain's response.

"Of course. You're right. It isn't fair for me to force a great man like yourself to sleep in a tent with one of my regular, run-of-the-mill soldiers." Shang continued.

"That's right. It's not!" Chi-fu threw in, attempting to maintain his bluster.

"I just thought that you would prefer to share a tent with that particular soldier as he is of smaller stature and therefore you would have more room as you rested."

"W-well…y-you thought wrong!" Chi-fu stammered hesitantly, not entirely sure where Shang was going with this.

"It seems so…" Shang pretended to think for a minute before smiling and saying, "I think from now on I'll pair you with Lieutenant Hong. He is a high standing officer and a good man. I think you will get along just fine with him." Shang paused and watched as Chi-fu's face paled slightly. Lieutenant Hong was a large, well-muscled man who did not stand for any sort of bullying or "legal gibberish", as he liked to call it. He and Chi-fu didn't always see eye-to-eye on matters, in fact, Shang couldn't think of a time when they had agreed on anything. Deciding to torture Chi-fu a little more, Shang continued with his line of thought.

"Of course, you are always more than welcome to sleep by the fires outside of the tent if you find it to be too crowded for your taste. After all, the Lieutenant is not a small man like the soldier you are now assigned with now. But thank you for bringing this travesty to my attention Chi-fu. You're absolutely right. I thought that assigning high-ranking officers with lower ranking men would instill a feeling of teamwork in my men, keep their morals high. However, there's also the possibility that they could see themselves as equal to their superiors and that could encourage rebellion. Thank you for being so open-minded Chi-fu. I'll be sure to let my father and the Emperor know of your great sacrifice." Shang paused again, this time to control his features into a smooth emotionless mask. He almost lost control at the horrified look on Chi-fu's face.

"I'll be sure to make the arrangements and tell the Lieutenant about the change in sleeping partner. Oh and don't worry, Lieutenant Hong doesn't snore too loudly. I'm sure you'll be able to work something out." Shang turned and began to walk away, trying to look purposeful in his mission while he waited for Chi-fu's response, which he knew would not be long in coming.

_Three…Two…One…_"CAPTAIN!" Came the desperate cry.

Shang grinned before turning to face Chi-fu with a surprised look, "Yes, Chi-fu? Was there anything else?"

Chi-fu approached him with a slightly chagrined look, after all, he hadn't really had that much of a problem with the man he was assigned with. In fact, they shared a great deal in common. It was just in his nature to complain and have his way, even when his way was impossible, such as having a tent to himself.

"Perhaps…I spoke a little hastily." Chi-fu muttered hesitantly, "I didn't really think this matter through. You might have a point about the whole teamwork thing. We wouldn't want to alienate our troops or make them feel that they are less important than us. After all, without them we wouldn't have an army! I think I can suffer through a few sleepless, uncomfortable nights with that cause in mind."

"Are you sure?" Shang asked, pretending sympathy, "If you would rather sleep with the Lieutenant I'm more than happy to make the arrangements."

"NO! I mean… no, thank you. Captain, I appreciate your generous offer but I believe I will stick with our current arrangements, though it pains me to do so. I must do whatever I can to help our soldiers win this war."

"Well, thank you Chi-fu. Your sacrifice is noted." With a final nod, Shang turned and walked away, a triumphant grin stretching across his face. He had finally beaten Chi-fu at his own game!

**Alright, so I know this chapter had more Chi-fu in it than anyone would like, me included, but I thought it was necessary for Shang to have at least one victory over the man because somehow in the movie Chi-fu went from loathing and looking down his nose at Shang to actually kind of respecting him and then this scene just flowed into this chapter so nicely I couldn't leave it out. **

** So, sorry to everyone but don't you worry your pretty little minds. I will be sure to continue with much more Shulan! (Mu-ang? Shulang? Mulang? Mush? What's a good couple's name for these two cuties?! HELP! This is gonna drive me crazy now!) **

**But look! Look! This chapter is much longer than my other ones right? (Grins proudly) See, I listen to my awesome reviewers sometimes! I'll try to keep 'em comin' guys! Thanks for reading my schpeal! (oooh, look a new word! Someone pencil it into a dictionary quick! Although… I don't know what the definition would be…I'll have to think about that one…) **

**Sorry, I'm a little hyper on sugar right now…there are these great dark chocolate covered pomegranates from Brookside that are just DIVINE and… Okay, shutting up now.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! I had A LOT of fun writing this chapter! So much fun, in fact, that I couldn't stop writing. (I drove my family absolutely nuts!) Hope you like it! Let me know what you think!**

His men were singing…again. And they were singing about how much they hated marching…again. Shang rubbed a hand over his face in aggravation, feeling a headache coming on. It didn't help that he hadn't gotten much sleep thanks to a certain female, although, the look on her face that morning had been priceless…

_No!_ He couldn't think about that right now. He had to figure out a way to cheer his men up and get them to stop singing that same song over and over and over again. Shang hated marching as much as the next man but he knew it was dangerous for them to focus on the negative. He needed his men to be in top shape, full of positive energy when they faced their enemy. If they kept thinking that they were tired and worn out from marching then they would mentally and emotionally wear themselves down as well as physically. What they needed was a distraction, something to get their mind off their sore feet…

What did men find distracting? What subject could they sing about that completely turn their minds away from the present? They couldn't really sing about victory because these men had never experienced it before. Singing about their homes would just make them homesick…He wondered if Ping ever became homesick. What would her life have been like if she had never taken her father's place in the army? What would she be like? Was she a dutiful and honorable daughter? What did she look like with her hair long and flowing down her back like a waterfall of night…Whoa, whoa! Back up there! When did his thoughts turn to her?! How had that happened?

That's when the answer to Shang's problem hit him upside the head. Women! Of course! What distracted a man more than the thought of a beautiful woman? Shang couldn't think of anything. Now, who was the perfect man to change the song to one of women? Well, the man who was the best at pranks and distractions was Ling. If anyone could pull this off, he could.

"Lieutenant Hong!" Shang called casually.

"Yes, Sir?"  
"Find the soldier Ling and have him come speak to me when we set up camp for the night, please."

"Yes, Captain!" 

Mulan marched between Yao and Po. Her feet were sore and her arms and back ached from carrying her pack and weapons but at least she was feeling stronger than yesterday. A good night's sleep had done wonders for her and she felt that she was doing a fairly good job keeping up. Every time they stopped for a short break, she would go back and check on Khan just to reassure herself that he was still fine and unhurt.

Yao and Po were talking about their homes and what they would be doing if they were there so Mulan didn't feel too guilty when her attention wandered away from the conversation. There was no way she was going to tell them about her home life, after all. Instead, Mulan's eyes wandered to the front of the line where she could just make out Shang's broad back as he rode his horse ahead of his army.

Her thoughts wandered to this morning and she felt her face heat up at the memory. Her mind may not remember how she ended up in that position but her body could remember the sensation of laying across his body; everywhere she was soft, he was hard with muscle. She could easily recall his masculine scent and the rough feel of his tunic under her cheek. When his arm had come around her and pulled her closer to him she had felt a lurch in her stomach and her heart had been beating so fast she had felt as though she were running a race.

Mulan was so confused. She had never felt this way about any man before. She couldn't stop looking at him, watching his muscles stretch and strain with every movement beneath his tunic. She wanted to walk close enough to him so she could feel his heat, close enough so she could touch him again. At the same time, every time she had these thoughts the fluttering in her stomach intensified and her heart beat so fast she felt sick.  
Maybe she was sick. What other reason could there be for her symptoms. Maybe she had a fever still from falling in the river. That could explain it. She didn't know why her symptoms grew worse when she was around her Captain but if she stayed far enough away from him maybe they would go away entirely.

Her mind made up, Mulan began to plan where she would sleep for the night, because there was no way she was going to make Shang go without a tent just so that she could get over her fever. She should probably stay away from the other men too, to ensure that they didn't catch whatever ailment she had. 

When the sun touched the horizon, outlining the distant mountains that were their destination in red and gold, Shang sent out a party of men to locate a good camp. They came back shortly and led the army to their resting place for the night.

As the men set up camp, Shang met with his Lieutenants and Chi-fu to go over their route for the next day and their battle plan for when they joined his father to fight the Huns. It took a little over an hour but in that time his soldiers had pitched all their tents and had a good meal cooked. Shang took his bowl to the campfire nearest where Ping had sent up their tent. Expecting to see her there, he was surprised to hear that none of the men had seen her since she had set up the tent and gotten her food. Yao reported that he had last seen her making her way through the camp in the general direction of the horses, but no one knew anything else.

Shang assumed that Ping had gone to check on her horse, Khan, again before settling down for the night and so he wasn't too concerned. However, when it was truly dark and all the men were retiring and she still hadn't returned, he decided it would probably be a good idea to  
go and find her. Moving quickly through the dark camp, Shang made his way to where the horses were picketed and there he found her.

She had her back to Khan, who was lying down on the ground next to her so she could lean against his side. She had her blanket pulled up to her chin and was apparently planning on sleeping there, which was just absurd. He moved until he stood directly in front of her and waited for her to notice him. After a moment or two Khan whickered a greeting and she stirred and opened her eyes. He saw her focus on his feet and then her gaze moved up the length of him to his face. Even in the dark he could see the color that blazed up on her cheeks. _Interesting._

"Ping, what are you doing here?"

She shifted uncomfortably on the ground under his stern gaze.

"I was just planning on sleeping with Khan tonight, Sir." She murmured, deliberately avoiding looking at him.

Shang crouched so he was on her level and dipped his head to try and catch her eye.

"But why? Khan hasn't shown any sign of injury from his dip in the river. There's nothing to be concerned about."

Ping muttered something in response but she had pulled the lower half of her face into her blanket to avoid meeting his eyes and he couldn't understand her. Impatiently he reached out, caught her chin with his fingers and forced her to look at him.

"What was that?" He asked mildly, ignoring her glare.

"I said, Sir, that I think I might still have a fever and I don't want you to catch it."

Concerned now, Shang placed his free hand on her forehead, trying to gauge her temperature. He shook his head.  
"It doesn't feel like you do. Do you have any feverish symptoms?"

"Only sometimes." She murmured, "My heart starts racing and I feel…jittery…and sick."

Shang frowned, "That's probably because you're worn out. You could also be dehydrated. Have you been drinking enough?" Ping nodded in response.

"It doesn't help that you keep sleeping in odd places. What would possess you to sleep anywhere other than your tent when you're not feeling I don't know but that is where you are going to sleep tonight." He stood and held out his hand to help her to her feet.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No, Sir. I am not going to sleep in the tent tonight. I'm quite comfortable here." The girl repeated stubbornly.

"Like hell you are!" Shang exclaimed, "You are going to come with me and sleep in our tent."

Ping pulled her blanket tighter around herself and shook her head, "You can't make me."

"Want to place a bet on that?" Shang growled and before Ping could utter another protest, he stooped down, picked the girl up and flung her struggling form over his shoulder.

"Let go of me!" She shouted, rearing up and attempting to kick him. Shang simply wrapped an arm around her legs to pin them down and began to stride towards camp.

"You know, for a sick person you have a lot of energy." Shang remarked casually.

"Put me down! You have no right!" She pounded her fists into his back and Shang winced at the force behind her blows. _Who had taught this girl how to punch!?_ Oh, that's right, he did.

"As your Captain, I have every right. You are being insubordinate and disobeying a direct order. Be thankful this is all the punishment you're getting."

"Let…me…go!" She shouted, punctuating each word with another punch to his shoulder blades. Having had just about enough of her ridiculous behavior, Shang did the only thing he could think to do. He spanked her.

"Ow!" Ping yelped, "How?!...What!?" She spluttered ineffectively

"If you keep hitting me, Boy, I'm going to hit you right back." Shang answered calmly, "Now quit struggling."

Ping fell silent but Shang could feel her fuming. When he reached their tent, he simply ducked inside with her still on his shoulder and then dumped her onto her sleeping mat. Ping sat up and glared at him as he stood over her.

"How could you do that!?" She hissed in outrage, "I can't believe you actually…you…" She was so angry and embarrassed she was at a loss of what to say.

"Spanked you? You were acting like a disobedient child. You got what you deserved." Shang answered coolly, before turning to his own sleeping mat. Deciding to torture her a little more, Shang shucked off his tunic, pretending not to notice the small gasp she tried to smother.

"W-wha-what are you doing?" she stuttered behind him. Hiding his self-satisfied smile, Shang turned to face her; taking in her averted eyes, flushed cheeks, and twisting fingers. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? I always sleep without a shirt. It's more comfortable, I find. Besides, we're both men here so what's to be embarrassed about?"

"R-right." She muttered, still avoiding looking at him, the flush on her face slowly spreading down her neck. Shang idly wondered how far down it went, then shook that thought away. Unsure how long he'd be able to control himself looking at her, he lay down with his back to her saying, "Get some sleep; and don't even think about trying to leave. I'll just drag you back."

_Get some sleep?_ Mulan thought, staring at the man lying next to her. _Yeah, right!_

**Whoo-hoo! Shang is showing his evil side! How's that for a long chapter, huh? Gosh this really was so much fun to write, I'm still smiling! R&amp;R everyone. You know how much I love to hear from you, the best reviewers in the world!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello again Fanfic land! Thank you to all the wonderful people who reviewed and a handful of candy to all who were desperate enough to PM me! You guys are awesome and your crazy enthusiasm is mind-blowing! My apologies for being late…again…I'M SOWWY! ****L****I hope this next chapter makes up for it. I aimed for even longer, not sure if I met it but just want you to know I am hearing your pleas and doing my best to answer them!**

Mulan lay awake in their tent trying desperately to ignore the fact that there was a half-naked man lying about a foot or so away from her. She had seen her Captain (and plenty of other men) without a shirt on before; but laying here in the dark, close enough to feel his warmth and here his breathing as it deepened in sleep felt so much more intimate. Her heart wouldn't stop racing and her face felt so hot she was surprised she didn't have smoke coming out of her ears! How in the world was she supposed to get any sleep? What in the world was wrong with her?

She smothered a frustrated growl then decided that she didn't have to put up with this. She didn't have to stay in the tent. She would leave and find a better, more comfortable place to sleep. One that didn't contain a certain disturbing, half-naked Captain! After all, what was the worst he could do to her? Drag her back? Embarrass her in front of the whole company? Well, he had already done that so it couldn't possibly get any worse. With a final nod of determination Mulan made up her mind, sat up, and began to slowly ease herself away from Shang. When she deemed she was out of grabbing range, she stood and went to dart out of the tent.

What she didn't expect was for one of her legs to be very suddenly and forcefully yanked out from under her. Mulan toppled to the ground, half in the tent and half out, entirely confused on how she had gotten there. Turning over with a small groan (that ground was HARD!) she reached back to discover what had tripped her. Her fingers brushed a rough, prickly surface wrapped around her ankle. Rope! How the heck had he managed to tie her up!? When had he done it?

"Going somewhere?" An all too familiar, deep voice asked. She closed her eyes in anger and embarrassment. He was _laughing_ at her. After a moment she tilted her head back and looked way, way up until she met his gaze.

"As a matter of fact, yes." She answered sharply, shooting him a glare for good measure.

"Really?" Shang asked sarcastically, "And where did you need to go in such a hurry in the middle of the night?"

Mulan's thoughts raced as she frantically tried to come up with a viable excuse for her behavior. Her mind latched onto one but she automatically shrank back from saying it aloud. It was so embarrassing…but what other choice was there? Besides, he thought she was a man so it couldn't be that bad to admit…

Taking a breath she stuttered out, "I-I needed to…" her voice dropped in volume, "…relieve…myself." Immediately her face blazed up in embarrassment and she ducked her head, waiting for his response. There was a long, extremely awkward, pause.

"Oh." Shang finally said, "Oh, right…um." He quickly crouched and untied the knot around her ankle.

"Sorry…there…" He reached down and helped her to her feet. There was another awkward pause.

"Not planning on running off, are you?" Shang joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Mulan flushed slightly, "No!" She answered a little too quickly and a little too vehemently.

"Really?" Shang asked, not believing her for a moment, "Well, in that case I think I might join you." He made to take a step past her and Mulan acted without thinking. She threw an arm out and caught Shang across the waist yelling, "NO!"

"No? Are you telling a superior officer what he can and cannot do?" Shang asked, hiding his amusement at her reaction behind a stern mask.

Instantly she removed her arm and took a step back, "No! No, not at all! I…I just…um…"

As she tried to come up with a plausible excuse for her actions Shang decided to take pity on her.

"Relax! I'm just teasing."

"Oh…then…um…I'm gonna…go…yeah." Mulan quickly spun around and took off into the darkness. She didn't get far before Shang's words made her pause.

"If you're taking too long I will come and find you!"

The thought of her Captain tracking her down and finding her in a compromising situation made Mulan pick up her pace. There was no _way_ she was going to allow that to happen!

When Mulan made it back to the tent in record time it was to find Shang had already lain down on his mat and was asleep. All her worrying had been for nothing. With a huff of annoyance, Mulan lay down on her mat with her back to him, pulled her blanket over her head and decided that she would do her absolute best to ignore him from then on out.

Shang heard the rustle of the tent flap when Ping re-entered the tent and let out a small sigh of relief, feeling himself relax. He hadn't wanted to chase after her but if she had forced his hand he would have. He didn't know why she had such a problem being around him these last few days. It had never been a problem before. Of course, they hadn't been sharing a tent before.

He listened in slight amusement as she huffed in apparent annoyance, then settled down behind him on her mat. He heard her shift a few times before she finally settled down but it was a long while before her breathing slowed down and deepened into her sleep pattern. It was an even longer while before he risked turning over and coming up on an elbow to watch her.

In that time, she had shifted again until she was on her stomach facing his direction. She hadn't bothered to pull her hair out of its topknot, Shang had a feeling she didn't want to risk anyone seeing her with her hair down in case it made her look more feminine. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and gave the ribbon that held her hair in place a gentle tug. The knot was already loose so the ribbon came away in his hand with ridiculous ease. With nothing to hold it in place her dark hair tumbled down onto her shoulders and across her face.

Shang bit back a laugh seeing her hair puff out with every breath she exhaled. Gingerly, he reached out and began to slowly move the hair out of her face until he could see her again. The dark mass felt like silk slipping through his fingers, Shang couldn't help but marvel at its softness.

Ping sighed and shifted slightly in her sleep, causing Shang to freeze in panic. Ping only turned slightly so she was laying on her side facing him before sighing again and sinking back into a deep sleep. It was only then that Shang realized just exactly what he had been doing. Muttering curses, he rolled over so his back was to her once more. What was it about this woman that tempted him into being a complete idiot?! Shang decided there and then that he would ignore her for the rest of the time that they shared a tent, treating like he would any other soldier.

**So… I think the universe has something against this story. The VERY NIGHT I was going to upload this chapter our house got hit by LIGHTNING. I am not making this up! We're pretty sure out surge protector didn't work (go figure) and the lightning FRIED our modem! Then I went to upload the chapter at work and as I went to connect to the Wi-Fi there, my supervisor came into the break room to tell me that because of that STUPID lightning storm our internet was running slower than normal and our manager didn't want us using it unless we ABSOLUTELY had to. I mean, seriously? WHAT IS WITH THAT?! **

***Ahem***

**Anyway…I was finally able to upload the chapter today and I apologize on the universes behalf. (Here that universe? Yeah, you owe me one…and I will be collecting with the posting of the next chapter, so don't you forget it!)**


	23. Chapter 23

***Peeks around corner* "Uum…hello…how is everyone?...Long time, no see, right? Haha…" *rubs back of neck nervously* "So…sorry about taking so long to update! I hope not too many of you lovely readers have given up on me! Here, look! I brought a present just for you, I hope you like it! I promise, promise, promise I'll be better this year! Please forgive me!" **

Mulan was miserable. She didn't know what had happened during the night after she had tried to run away from the tent but something must have. When she woke up her hair had been free from her topknot (which was something she avoided around any man at all cost) and Shang had already left the tent without bothering to wake her up. Then all morning while they were packing up their camp and getting ready to march on she got the distinct feeling that Shang was avoiding her. There was even a moment when they had walked right past each other, close enough to brush shoulders, and he hadn't even looked at her!

Mulan tried to convince herself that this was a good thing, it made it that much easier for her to ignore him like she had promised herself she would do, but then why did it hurt so much? She just couldn't make head or tail of her feelings anymore. She didn't know what to do.

On top of all of that was the fact that they were officially marching through the mountains which meant cold winds, cold temperatures, cold snow and cold feet. Mulan hated the cold and having to march through it, uphill no less, was just pure torture. So when the men struck up another complaining marching song, she was more than willing to join in. Who cares if she was focusing all her angst into the words and attempting to hurl them at Shang's back with a vengeance? He deserved it for ignoring her all morning!

_…__marching off to battle_

_In a thundering herd_

_We feel a lot like cattle_

Gah! There they went again! Shang swore that if he heard one more word about how miserable his men were when they were marching he would really give them something to complain about!

_Like the pounding beat_

_Our aching feet aren't easy to ignore!_

What was taking Ling so long? Hadn't they made a deal? What was it with his men disobeying him left and right all of a sudden?

_Hey!_

_Think of instead_

_A girl we're fighting for!_

Shang sighed in relief. Took the guy long enough!

"Huh?" Shang heard Ping say, sounding thoroughly confused. He had to bite back a chuckle at her reaction.

_That's what I said,_

_A girl worth fighting for!_

_I want her paler than the moon_

_With eyes that shine like stars!_

Yao quickly picked up the subject with the next refrain.

_My girl will marvel at my strength,_

_Adore my battle scars…_

Huh. Who knew Yao had a poetic bone in his body? As Po started in on what he wanted from a woman Shang contemplated the matter himself. What qualities made up his perfect woman? His father had always kept him so busy with military training and tactics he had never really given it any thought before…

First and foremost she would have to come from a military family, military lineage was incredibly important to his father. She would have to have a mind for politics and be able to carry out an intelligent conversation in polite company. Her reputation would have to be spotless and she would have to carry herself like a lady; poised, elegant and every movement graceful with no wasted motions. If she knew how to defend herself that would be a plus, as a Captain in the Empire's army he would have numerous enemies searching for his weakness. Beauty would be an added bonus as well…

Almost instantly the memory of a young woman rising from dark water, illuminated by the silver light of the moon came to mind. No! There was no way Ping was the right woman for him, no way could she become his wife! She was too stubborn, opinionated, and…she had been ignoring him all morning! Deliberately avoiding him! He should know because he had been doing the same thing to her as well, but still! That didn't give her the right to throw it back in his face! Ha! Who would want a woman like her, (dressed as a man no less!), for a wife?

But even as he had the thought another memory intruded, one of her sleeping face lying next to his. Her quiet, peaceful breathing. Then there were the moments when she smiled at him with complete abandon, every wall of hers down for a brief, glorious moment. He could picture her fighting with her sword and staff and bow, practicing over and over and over until every movement was smooth and graceful, flowing from one stance to the next. There was no doubt that she was an amazing woman. It made him wish he had known her before she had disguised herself. Would he have even taken notice of her?

_You can guess what we _

_have missed the most_

_Since we went off to war_

_What do we want?_

_A girl worth fighting for!_

Wasn't that the truth? Ping was definitely a girl worth fighting for. If she allowed anyone to do her fighting for her, that is. Shang chuckled at the thought.

_My girl will think I have no faults_

_That I'm a major find…_

There was a pause in the song that automatically had Shang turning around to make sure there was no trouble.

"Uuum!"

Oh, it was Ping's turn to add to the song, this ought to be good. Shang grinned to himself and listened for her to come up with something outrageous.

_How bout a girl who's got a brain!_

_And.. always speaks her mind?_

Shang had to choke back a laugh at his men's immediate negative response. After all, who wanted a girl chattering away about her misguided opinions all the time? No, best to leave the serious thinking to the men. Women had a tendency to think with their hearts and not their heads. Not that Shang had any real experience with women's thoughts but he had heard stories from reliable sources and those stories were quite scary. It was honorable for a woman to support her husband and his decisions, caring for her physical and emotional welfare. What more could they want? Women should be grateful to their menfolk.

_My manly ways_

_And turn of phrase_

_Are sure to thrill her!_

_He thinks he's such a lady killer_

_I've a girl back home_

_Who's unlike any other…_

Dear lord, even Chi-fu had joined into the fun! Where had that come from? Shang didn't even know he was married! He just didn't seem the sort and what woman would put up with him? His mother?

_Yet the only girl who'd love him_

_Is his mother_

Yao took the words right out of his mind.

"Captain!" One of the scouts he had sent ahead was riding towards them and moving fast. Shang turned his attention away from the silly song his men were still belting out at top volume to focus on the scout.

"Captain, up ahead. There's been an attack on the village!"

"Are the enemy still there?"

"No, sir." Came the answer. Immediately Shang picked up the pace. As they came over a rise the destruction spread out before them. The smell of ash and blood was strong in the air. The sight silenced his men in mid-sentence. Moving slowly, Shang led his sober troops into the destroyed and blackened village. Fighting down the panic rising in his chest, he spun his mount around and turned back to face his horror-stricken men.

"Search for survivors!" He ordered as calmly as he could.

**I'm sorry to end it there but I think it's appropriate to do so. I promise to be much quicker about my updates from now on! ****J**


	24. Chapter 24

**This chapter has probably been the most difficult to write so far. How do you capture so much intense emotion on paper? This is the first time some of these men have seen the violence and destruction of war. All they've ever heard about is how much honor and glory comes with fighting for your country and yet their first encounter is this gruesome and horrific scene. So many innocent lives destroyed simply because they were in the way. I hope I've managed to convey this scene properly all though I feel it is merely a shadow in comparison to the reality the movie attempts to portray.**

Shang made his way through the village's skeleton. So much destruction. This was not the first time he had seen it and he doubted it would be the last, he had just hoped that somehow he could have spared his men this particular sight. The sight of innocent women and children and elderly forced to die with no means of defending themselves from their fates.

War was not all it was made out to be, it was not all shiny armor and swords, swooping in on white chargers to destroy the bad guy. War was a struggle with massive loss on both sides, innocent bystanders caught in the fray as it tore through every boundary; the boundaries between nations and the boundaries separating man from monster. War was dirt and blood churned into stinking mud, burned homes, innocence and peace destroyed, the stench of death and ash hanging in the very air they breathed.

Up ahead he saw Ping stoop and pick something up from the snow. She held it carefully in her hands, a relic of all that had been lost. Her head was bent, (in prayer, perhaps?), and she stood alone among the blackened ruins of someone's home. Approaching her, Shang didn't remember dismounting; he just found himself standing beside her, unable to look at her, not wanting to see the sorrow and hurt he knew he would see in her eyes.

"I don't understand," he murmured, "My father should have been here." He didn't know why those were the words he spoke. He didn't know why he felt he had to be honest in his thoughts with her at that moment. He couldn't offer her consolation when he was in a panic himself over his father's fate.

"Captain!" Chi-fu called, his voice echoing in the muffled silence. The man was standing just outside the village, looking down at something. Shang quickly joined him and felt the air leave his lungs. His father's troops had been found. All the men who had left that sun-filled day not that long ago looking impressive, proud and glorious were now sprawled out in the cold snow. They were destroyed.

Shang could see some of his men down there, attempting to find any who might have survived. Po was making the ascent back up to where he and Chi-fu stood, something cradled in his hands. Something that Shang recognized with just a glance. His heart plummeted.

_No! No, no, please no! I'm not ready!_

"The…General." Po said sadly, seemingly unable to say anything else, but he didn't have to. Shang gently took the helmet from his soldier staring down at it and picturing his father's smiling face from the last time he had seen him where it. He had been so sure, so proud of his lineage, of his son, and now he was gone. Shang would never see his smile, hear his laugh again. He could never again turn to him for the guidance he felt he desperately needed. His father would never meet the woman his son would marry, never get the chance to hold his grandchildren, their future. Shang turned away from his men and strode over to a spot that overlooked his father's last stand.

He drew his sword, the sword his father had entrusted to him, and plunged it into the snow and ice. Kneeling he reverently placed his father's helmet on its hilt. It wasn't the stone that would be placed in his family's shrine but it was the best he could do. His father had died fighting for what he believed in. A good, brave death. It was Shang's duty to honor this and to carry on with his mission. This was all the sorrow he would allow himself to feel for now. He would honor his father and lead his men against the Hun army. With his father watching over them, Shang hoped he could take his revenge and destroy the monsters who had done this.

"I'm sorry." A voice floated over his shoulder. Ping. Sweet, sweet Ping. Her words were so simple but they encompassed him in a feeling of warmth and companionship. He wasn't alone. He had his men, his father was there in spirit and he had her. Standing and turning he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to show her that what he was feeling towards her in that moment couldn't be expressed in words. Trying to tell her how thankful he truly was for her support.

Gathering his thoughts, gathering his strength he moved through his men's ranks until he reached his horse. Taking a moment, he took a long breath, pushing his sorrow aside and allowing the rush of anger towards his father's killer to rise to the surface. In one smooth movement he mounted and faced his men.

"The Hun's are moving quickly. We'll make better time to the Imperial City through the Tun-chou Pass. We're the only hope for the Emperor now… Move out!"

Mulan looked down at the little doll she held. The only thing left of the child that had lived in this village with her family. Looking out across the field that held the remains of the Imperial Army they were supposed to be supporting, Mulan could almost see the battle taking place. She could see the Hun Army sweeping down out of the surrounding mountains, crushing through the soldiers and torching the little village they protected. She could almost hear the screams of the women and children…tearing her eyes away, she focused on her Captain.

Shang strode away from his men until he stood alone and that's when Mulan remembered that Shang's father had been part of the Imperial Army. She knew immediately from his stance what had happened. Sorrow filled her heart. She knew what it was like to fear for the life of a loved one, the constant worrying and wondering if they would come home, but she couldn't begin to fathom the pain of _knowing_ that you had lost them forever and there was nothing you could have done to save them.

Unable to stop herself she moved to where he knelt in the snow, paying his respects to his father one last time. She tried to think of something, anything, to say to try and ease his suffering but nothing she could think of seemed like it was enough.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, trying to fill those two little words with all the emotion she was feeling, trying to tell him with those two little words that even though she couldn't really understand what he was going through, she would try to be there to support him as best she could.

Shang stood suddenly and Mulan backed up a step or two, trying to give him space if he needed it, but he halted her movements with a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into his dark eyes and saw that, somehow, he had understood the message she had been trying to give to him. Then he was releasing her and striding away from her. The words he spoke from up on his horse were the words a Captain would say to his army; instructions and orders. They weren't the words of a son mourning his father. Mulan knew he was determined to not show any weakness in front of his men. He had an army to lead, a war to win, he couldn't afford weakness. And neither could she.

Still, there was one thing Mulan needed to do before following the men. Turning back to Shang's makeshift shrine for his father, Mulan knelt and placed the little doll at its base. She had never known Shang's father but he must have been a good man to raise such a son. She had never known the men who fought at his side but she knew the men who fought at hers and she knew that these men must have been much the same to be part of the Imperial Army. She had never known the people who had lived in this village but she knew the people who lived in hers.

Bowing down, Mulan paid her respects to all the lives that had been lost in this terrible battle and prayed that all their spirits found peace in the afterlife. She prayed for strength, she prayed for safe-keeping, she prayed for victory, she prayed for the lives of the men who would stand at her side and, most important of all, she prayed for the man who would lead them through this war.

**I hope I was able to capture this moment. More to come, I promise.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the long break between chapters but I had to put a lot of thought into this chapter and figure out what direction exactly I wanted this story to go in. I think you'll like this chapter, especially after the intensity of the last one. Please enjoy!**

Shang sat cross-legged in the tent, slowly gliding his sharpening stone over the blade of his sword. The sword his father had entrusted to him. The edge was already razor sharp but the continuous motion of sharpening was soothing in its repetitiveness; the sound of the stone rasping against metal oddly meditative. At this point he might grind the blade to dust but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

They had reached the entrance of the pass just before dusk and Shang had called for camp to be made. The Hun army couldn't navigate the pass in the dark any better than they could so there was a good chance they would catch up with them tomorrow. Shang hoped that the Hun army would have dropped their guard slightly by then. They weren't going to be expecting any other resistance to reach them fast enough to stop them before they reached the Emperor. Surprise was on Shang's side and he intended to take full advantage of it. Catching the larger army in the narrow confines of the pass, he hoped to bottleneck them so his men could pick them off in smaller numbers. It would test his men's stamina to their limits but he had trust in them and their abilities. Shang would personally see to it that he had his revenge against his father's killer. He would bring destruction to the army that tore through the country and his family. He would make them pay for every life they took, innocent and otherwise. They didn't deserve the honorable death that his other enemies had met, he would slaughter them like the rabid animals they were!

"Captain?" The soft query came from the tent entrance behind him. Shang eased the death grip he had on his sharpening stone and deliberately continued in his movement of dragging the stone across metal.

"Go to sleep, Ping. You will need your energy for tomorrow's fight."

"As will you, Captain."

"I will sleep when I am finished here." Shang stated abruptly, attempting to shut Ping down with harsh words. For a moment it seemed to work as he heard Ping enter the tent and rustle around as she made herself comfortable on her sleeping pallet. He should have known better.

"Captain…are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He answered, stubbornly refusing to answer her true question.

"Well…aren't you…cold?" Came the hesitant reply, taking him slightly by surprise. It wasn't the question he had expected to hear.

"Cold?" He asked, turning slightly to look at her where she lay, her blanket tucked tightly around her and pulled up so all he could see were her eyes and hair.

"It _is_ snowing." She answered, sounding slightly defensive. Now that Shang was pulled out of his reverie it suddenly did register on him that the temperature had dropped considerably.

"I hadn't noticed." He answered truthfully.

Ping sent him an incredulous look, "How could you not? It's so cold I think my nose is going to fall off!"

This startled a laugh out of Shang, something he hadn't expected to be able to do considering the circumstances. A warm feeling of tenderness and gratitude filled his heart, causing him to smile down at her where she lay. He wasn't sure what kind of expression he had exactly, but it caused what he could see of her face to flush a brilliant red despite the cold. Clearing his throat slightly, he attempted to revert back to a more professional manner.

"Well, I was a little lost in thought but you're right. It's too cold to continue to stay up." As he spoke he sheathed his sword and replaced his sharpening stone where it belonged in his pack. After doing so, he slipped under his blankets on his sleeping mat and turned to face the girl who could make him happy no matter what circumstances they were in. She had gotten her blush under control and now he could see that she was shivering under her blanket. She truly was as cold as she said. He wished there was something he could do for her.

Well, there was one thing, but there was no way he could suggest _that!_ His father had taught him that particular trick for if he was camping in the cold with another _soldier _and Ping certainly wasn't just any old soldier, being female and all that. _However_, Shang thought quietly, _she doesn't know that I know that she's female. If she were any other soldier I would make that suggestion to them. It is a perfectly normal thing to do when fighting against the cold._

"W-what are you t-thinking?" He heard Ping's quiet voice ask, teeth chattering.

Well that settled that. He would be a cruel Captain indeed if he knew a soldier was suffering from the cold as badly as she was and he didn't do what he could to help. In fact, her being female made the situation even more dire. Wasn't a man supposed to protect a woman? It would be the honorable thing to do in a situation such as theirs.

Having made up his mind he answered, "I was just remembering an old trick that my father taught me when we were camping in the snow. It's a good way to stay warm and I figured that we could give it a try." Shang saw instant curiosity light up Ping's eyes.

"W-what's the t-trick?" She asked eagerly.

Not needing any further encouragement, Shang sat up, grabbed the edge of his sleeping mat and proceeded to shuffle it sideways until it was directly next to Ping's.

"W-what are you doing?" Ping asked, trying to hide her nervousness and failing miserably. Laying back down, Shang lifted the side of his blanket that was closest to her in invitation.

"Here. We'll lay close together and share blankets. That way we'll both have two layers on top of us and we'll share the heat from our bodies."

"I…d-don't know about t-this…" Ping answered hesitantly.

"Come on. You're not getting any warmer and I'm just getting colder waiting like this. Besides, we're both guys here, it shouldn't be this big of a deal." Shang insisted, challenging her slightly, betting on the fact that she wasn't going to back down with her identity on the line. He watched as her eyes narrowed slightly at him then her mouth hardened into a determined line and she slowly began to edge closer.

When she was close enough, Shang reached over her with his blanket, settling that arm over her waist and pulling her closer until she was using his other arm as a pillow and was cuddled into the curve of his body. She gasped at their sudden closeness but didn't pull away from him as he had expected. Letting go of her waist momentarily, Shang re-arranged the blankets over them so they were completely covered by both blankets. Next he caught one of her small hands and pressed it between his warm chest and his hand.

Her reaction to his warmth was almost instantaneous. She automatically shifted closer until both of her hands and her freezing, little nose were pressed against his chest. He could feel her warm breath through the fabric of his tunic and fought down a shiver at the sensation.

"Better?" He whispered close to her ear, returning his arm to her waist and soaking in the warmth of her body. He had to fight from burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent. He felt her nod in response.

"Are you sure this is alright, though?" She murmured sleepily after a long moment.

"Why wouldn't it be?" He whispered back, silently begging her not to move away.

"Well…you're my Captain, my superior. Isn't this kind of…over-stepping my rank?"

"Forget about rank. It's cold and we're just two soldiers trying to stay warm. If you really want to pull the whole "rank" card I'll just say that as your Captain I'm ordering you to share your warmth with me. I can't afford to get sick. After all, I have an army to lead."

Ping stifled a giggle in his tunic at his answer which made him smile.

"Now go to sleep before I'm forced to wallop you over the head!" He grumbled, oh so subtly pulling her closer as he spoke.

"Yes, Sir!" Her teasing answer came out muffled as she buried her cold face in his tunic once more. In only a couple of moments her breathing slowed into her sleep rhythm. Shang attempted to stay awake, determined to enjoy every last second of this rare opportunity, but before long it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. As he felt himself drift off he sent a silent plea to his ancestors, praying that tomorrow would bring victory and that someday soon he would be able to hold this wonderful woman again and call her his.

**Aaaawwww! Aren't they just so darn cute?! As always, thank you for being my wonderful readers. Without you this story would be just another vague idea floating through the space above my neck I like to call Brain!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello everyone! Two chapters in one month! (barely) A new record for this year ****J**

**I thought I would continue with the fluff for a little longer before breaking in to the meat of the story. This is kind of a filler chapter, as much as I hate to say it, and I know its super short but I hope you like it! I promise to do better my beloved readers… **

"WHAT THE **_cheep!_** IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Mulan came awake with a start at Mushu's yell.

"Wha…?" She mumbled, trying to sit up but finding it impossible to do so for some strange reason.

"Don't you 'wha?' me, Young Lady! I asked you a question! What the **_chirpity-cheeeep!_** is going on here?"

"Idonknowwhayertalkinbout…" She grumbled, allowing herself to flop back and rubbing her eyes free of sleep.

"Oh, really? Well maybe this will ring a bell." Mushu said in a mockingly friendly voice, "WHY THE **_CHEEEEEEEEEEEEP!_** IS _CAPTAIN LEE SHANG_ SHARING YOUR BED?!" He finished on an ear-ringing bellow that caused Mulan to visibly flinch. Then his actual words sank in and Mulan turned her head to the side to find her Captain's sleeping face mere inches from her own.

"Wha…?" She yelped in confusion, pulling as far away from him as she could. Unfortunately for poor Mulan, that wasn't very far because of the way he was clinging to her.

"You keep saying that! Finish your thought, girl! But think long and hard before you give me an answer!" Mushu scolded, talking over Crickie's angry sounding chirps.

"I don't understand!" Mulan breathed as she attempted to squirm out of her Captain's hold. Sometime during the night he had thrown a leg and an arm over her, effectively pinning her in place. He was pressed so close he was practically on top of her. As she struggled Shang grumbled in his sleep and clutched her closer, burying his face in her neck. Mushu stood at the tent entrance scowling, arms crossed and tapping one foot angrily.

"You're lucky I found you first, before some other soldier wandered in here! What would possess you to allow this to happen?!"

"In case you didn't notice, Mushu, I was asleep! We slept closer than normal because it was so cold! How was I supposed to know that this was going to happen?" As she was saying this, Mulan managed to pry Shang's arm off her waist and quickly gave him a push, hoping the momentum would get him to roll away from her. At the sudden movement, Shang growled in annoyance and his eyes flicked open to shoot a glare her way. Mushu grabbed Crickie by his antennae and charged for the exit but not before shouting, "This ain't over, Mulan! I still got a lot more I want to say to you!"

"What are you doing?" Shang grumbled as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, still not fully awake.

"I could ask you the same question, Captain." Mulan shot back. Moving quickly, she stood, rolled up her sleeping mat and headed for the tent entrance. "I'm going to get breakfast."

Shang was left wondering what the heck had just happened.

Meanwhile, inside a nearby wagon, Crickie was doing his absolute best to scold Mushu for his behavior.

"Oh please, Crickie! You can't tell me you weren't having the exact same reaction! So what if I got a little carried away? We just found our little girl sleeping in the arms of that stupid Captain! How did you expect me to react? Besides, you did a fine job cheeping me out anyway so it doesn't matter!" Turning his back, Mushu began to idly scratch caricatures in the side of the wagon."

"Stupid Captain, thinks he can steal my girl from me? Well, he's gonna learn real soon how big of a mistake he just made! No one's gonna touch my girl! Not on my watch. Who does he think he is?!" Mushu muttered to himself. The figures he was drawing slowly began to resemble Shang more and more, each one ending up in bizarre situations that ended in his demise.

"Stupid Captain with all his high-falootin military lineage and shiny swords and armor. I'll show him!"

Crickie just sat watching Mushu with an exasperated expression, shaking his tiny head at the dragon's childish sulking.

**Aw! Shang likes to cuddle, who'd a thunk it? And there goes Mushu gettin all jealous! Until next time then, adieu!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Greetings fellow fanfictioners! Sorry for the wait but here we are with the latest chapter. But guess what! Last month (as in February) I got over 10,000 views for this story! 10,000 VIEWS! In just ONE MONTH! When I saw that, I just about burst out crying! I couldn't believe it! My mind was literally blown! Who'd have thought that my little pet project could reach so many people all over the world? This miracle could not have occurred without your awesome support, I cannot thank you enough! You guys are my inspiration! So thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou, you are the best readers in the world! Please enjoy.**

As the morning wore on and the camp was packed up with the efficiency that came with long practice, it became abundantly clear to Shang that Ping was avoiding him. In fact, the girl was being so obvious about it, the other soldiers had begun to catch on to what was happening. He could see them watching their interactions, or lack of, with extreme curiosity and a little amusement. She was being ridiculous! Nothing happened, they simply slept close to each other for warmth! Compared to their first sleeping encounter, what they did last night should have been no big deal!

So why was she avoiding him? Shang determined that he would track her down and call her out on her actions but, before he could, the men were packed and it was time to get underway. Ping ensured that she led Khan and kept their wagon at the back of the line, as far away from Shang as she could possibly get. Growling under his breath in frustration, Shang took his place at the head of the company and led them into the Tun-chou Pass.

Almost immediately Shang felt his nerves go on edge. The Pass was the perfect place for an ambush. It was his goal to use this to his advantage but there was a chance the Hun's had pounced on the opportunity as well. Shang decided that they would proceed with extreme caution and make as little noise as possible. He quietly passed the orders to his Lieutenant to be relayed back through the company. It was imperative that they keep their presence as unobtrusive as possible.

Keeping his mount to a slow walk, Shang cautiously plowed a path through the new fallen snow. The air was crisp and the silence absolutely complete, making every little sound echo off the canyon walls and amplifying it. The rock walls slowly grew taller as they made their way further into the mountain range until the sky above their heads was a strip of brilliant blue while where they were walking was cloaked in shadow. They marched for a couple miles, steadily upwards, before the cliffs began to recede and their path grew wider and wider until they came to an area where their company could stretch out in one long line and still not reach the edges of the clearing. The snow was deeper here, almost to knee height and it slowed their progress further.

It was here that disaster struck.

**A.N. Hmm…should I stop right here? It's kinda a cool cliff hanger buuuut the last chapter was pretty short too….decisions, decisions…**

**Just kidding ;)**

**_KA-BOOM!_**

Shang reined in his horse and stared over his shoulder in horror at the cloud of smoke and gunpowder hanging over their heads. Wheeling his mount around he pushed the horse as quickly as it could go back through the line of his men, closely followed by Chi-fu and his Lieutenants. He followed the trail of smoke down to the culprit. Anger pulsed behind his eyes.

Ping. The cannon had come from Ping's wagon. What was the girl thinking! Pulling up just short of her he glared down at the girl who was becoming the worst sort of distraction in his life.

"What happened?" He barked at her. He watched as her eyes shifted sideways,

"Uuuhh…"

Without waiting to hear her excuses Shang thrust a finger up at the sky and the remains of the misfired cannon, yelling, "You just gave away our position! Now we're..!" But he didn't get to finish his rant as a soft buzzing sound filled the air and Shang found himself hit by an incredible force that shoved him off his horse and sent a sharp pain radiating through his shoulder. Knowing immediately what this meant and not allowing himself to focus on the pain, Shang yanked the arrow out of his armor and flesh, yelling to his men.

"Get out of range!"

His men immediately scattered, trying to find defendable positions to they could face their attackers. More arrows showered down on their heads, some of them glowing red with flame. A horse squealed in panic over his men's shouts. Shang heard a whoosh of sound come from the same direction and turned to find one of the wagons ablaze. Ping's wagon.

"Save the canons!" Shang ordered above the ruckus. His heart screamed a different kind of order. _Save Ping!_ His men instantly swarmed around the wagon as Ping attempted to keep his horse under control until the last possible minute.

"Empty it! Empty it!"

"Come on, men, save them!"

"Save them!"

Most of the men formed an efficient assembly line and began removing cannons as fast as they could, while Po grabbed an enormous armload and ran for cover. Ping, taking advantage of her horse's distraction at the men, managed to unsheathe her sword and cut the beast loose of the raging inferno. Just as she did so, Shang watched in horror as the wagon exploded in a huge blast of noise and light. It threw his men back several feet and Shang lost his visual of Ping as he struggled to his feet, ears ringing from the blast.

Yao grabbed him up and they helped each other beat a hasty retreat, Shang all the while keeping a desperate watch for Ping. Finally he saw her. She had managed to mount Khan and was barreling after them as they took refuge in a large pile of boulders. It wasn't the most strategic location but it would have to do. Determined to give Ping cover as she raced towards them under a steady hale of flaming arrows, Shang began barking orders to his men until they had a decent line of cannons at the ready.

"Fire!" He bellowed.

The roar of the cannons echoed his shout. Before the first round even made contact with the cliffs their attackers were cowering within, his men were already reaching for more cannons. Ping reached the shelter of the rocks, causing Shang no small amount of relief, but he couldn't afford to linger on that thought.

"Fire!" Shang ordered once more.

Another round of blasts slammed into the cliff side. The few arrows that had still been raining down on them ceased as black smoke billowed back to them, obscuring their view.

"Hold the last cannon!" Shang ordered, on seeing that Yao was the only one with a cannon still available to fire. An eerie silence fell after his words, seemingly made quieter after the clamor and roar of warfare. The cannon smoke eddied in the air around them, swirling in the crisp mountain air, reeking of gunpowder and death. It was as if, in that one moment, the world had simply come to a stop, shocked by the noise and violence that had just occurred. Every being in existence seemed to hold its breath.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello dear Readers. Here is the latest. I'm afraid to say I have no excuse to give for my tardiness besides lack of inspiration and a lapse into pure laziness. I apologize profusely in my own behalf. In other news, I have broken my foot due to ridiculous circumstances that I don't want to go into too much detail about. (suffice to say, clumsiness should be labeled as a handicap for people such as myself) Seeing as how I am now pretty much chained to the house for the next six weeks, except for work that is, I will try to update more often in that timeframe to make up for this past month. Please enjoy!**

The white cannon smoke slowly shifted out of the way as the mountain air swirled around them, raising goosebumps and sending chills up and down spines. Above them, outlined in the blue, blue sky, the single, dark silhouette of a horse and rider stood in defiance of their attack. The horse tossed its head and even with all the distance between them, they could hear its whicker, challenging them. The mountain of a man mounted upon it stared down at them, they could practically feel the heat of his fury.

More dark figures began to appear on the ridge. Shang watched in horror as the Hun army finally appeared in its entirety. There were hundreds of them, stretched from one side of the ridge to the other. Their war cry rose to a massive roar and crashed down on Shang and his men in waves as it echoed off the mountains surrounding them.

Quickly schooling his features so his men couldn't read what he was thinking, Shang turned to face them. Their faces said it all, they knew the odds were against them. They knew there was a good chance they would not be leaving these mountains. Still they held firm, awaiting his orders. Taking a breath, Shang gave the order he was sure would be his last.

"Prepare to fight! If we die, we die with honor!"

With a ring of steel, his men answered his cry to battle with determination and resolution. Each man held his sword in a steady hand as they faced their fears and their foe with nothing but their skills, their prayers and their will to survive. Shang chanced one last look at Ping's face. This could be the last time he laid eyes on her and what he saw did not disappoint. He could see her concern for her comrades, her determination, her never-ending stubbornness and strength. She was breathtakingly beautiful and in that moment all he wanted to do was tell her so and show her how he truly felt. If they lived through this, Shang swore to do everything in his power to make her his. To hell with rules, and honor and whatever anyone else had to say about it. She was everything he needed and everything he ever wanted.

Another roar of sound was the only warning they received as that same single rider wheeled his horse around and charged down the slope directly towards them. This man had to be their great enemy, the scourge of the land, Shan Yu. In one movement, the Hun army descended. A wave of black rushing down the mountain towards them, determined to wipe out their very existence. Shang watched their approach, hunting for any weaknesses they may have. Well, there was one move they could take before the army actually reached them…

"Yao. Aim the cannon at Shan Yu."

The man in his arrogance had pulled far ahead of his army, exposing himself to an attack. Yao had proved himself to be an excellent shot with a cannon, able to hit even the furthest of targets with impeccable accuracy. Shan Yu wasn't quite within range yet, but it wouldn't be long…

Shang's attention was completely focused on Shan Yu and his impending death and so he didn't see what Ping was planning until it was too late. A blur of movement and Yao's shout were all the warning he received before Ping was running out of their rock cover, towards the Hun army with the last cannon tucked under her arm.

"Ping!" He bellowed in panic, "Come back! Ping!"

Shang watched in horror as her slim form continued to charge through the snow, back up the slope directly towards Shan Yu. What was the little fool thinking?! Was she trying to get herself killed? Was this some plan to try and make up for the wagon misfire earlier?

"Stop!"

When it became all too clear that Ping had no intentions of stopping, Shang took off after her. All clear thoughts vanished from his mind. The only thing guiding his actions at that moment was his heart and it was screaming at him to save her before it was too late.

Ping had finally stopped and slammed the butt of the canon into the snow. Crouching behind it, she quickly lined it up with her target then reached for her flint. What was she doing? There was no way she needed to be that close! Shang could only watch as something small and black came streaking from the sky towards Ping, knocking her to the ground. Another shout rose from his throat but she was too far away to hear him.

Shan Yu used Ping's moment of vulnerability to close in on her. He was practically on top of her, with Shang still too far away to help, when the cannon exploded into the sky in a flash of fire and gunpowder. The force of it knocked Ping backwards and caused Shan Yu's horse to rear up in shock, stopping just short of running the girl into the ground.

Everyone watched in confusion as the cannon arched through the air until it slammed into one of the mountain tops in the distance, almost behind the fast approaching army. It was an impressive shot but Shang could not figure out why she had wasted their last cannon on a mountain. That is, until the entire mountain top appeared to start moving.

Slowly at first, the mass picked up speed and size as it fell until huge white chunks of ice and snow slammed into the ground with a roar of sound. It was almost as if Ping had awakened a dragon. She had started the largest avalanche that Shang had ever seen.

Shang saw the moment Shan Yu realized what Ping had done. He roared in fury and swung his sword down towards Ping's defenseless form. Shang watched in panic as Ping dodged the blow and scrambled to her feet. She wasted no time, bolting towards him as fast as she could, racing the mountain as it plummeted towards them. Grabbing Shang's arm and dragging him after her before he came to his senses and joined her in the race for their lives. They could see Yao, Po and Ling in the distance, fleeing ahead of them after their failed attempt to charge after Ping and rescue her with Shang.

The avalanche roared over the Hun army, as if they were nothing more than a mere nuisance instead of a deadly force. Shan Yu abandoned his men to their fate, urging his mount to faster speeds with the flat of his blade but he was soon overtaken as well. The snow swallowing him into its mass with impunity before barreling towards its next victims.

Shang and Ping ran as fast as they could. The ground beneath their feet trembled and shook as the avalanche rushed towards them with a roar. Suddenly Khan was there, running alongside them, heedless of the danger. Determined to save them to the best of his ability. Ping released Shang's hand long enough to mount Khan then reached back down to him. Shang grabbed her hand in his with an iron grip and Ping attempted to pull him up after her but they were too late. The full force of the avalanche slammed into them with rib-cracking force. Shang felt as Ping's hand was ripped from his own and he suddenly found himself at nature's mercy. The mass of white tumbled around him; dragging him down into its depth, crushing the air from his lungs until he was completely disoriented. Darkness closed in around him and he lost himself to its eternal depth.


	29. Chapter 29

**Good morning everyone! I absolutely loved the feedback you gave me for the last chapter! Special thanks goes out to Liliana Dragonshard for one of the longest reviews I've ever gotten ;) Good luck on your finals Musicninja2, thank you for your awesome support! Too all my other amazing reviewers…I LOVE YOU GUYS! Your reactions are the best and you really give me the strength to push on. Together we're gonna see this thing through to the end!**

Mulan couldn't see a thing in the crushing darkness. All she was aware of was the warmth of Khan beneath her and the cold all around her, but she couldn't give in! She had to break free and find a way to survive! She needed to help her friends and she desperately needed to find Shang before it was too late! Ducked low over Khan, not entirely sure which way was up, Mulan dug her heels in and urged Khan forward with her whole body. She felt his muscles surge beneath her and, suddenly, they were free! Breaking through the rushing snow's surface in a spray of crystals and ice.

Mulan gulped down the frigid air, thankful to be alive. However, she couldn't linger, the situation was dire and time was of the essence. Khan was fighting against the current of the snow as best as he could but…

GAH! A sudden wave of snow swept through them, tossing Khan off his feet! Mulan clung to his back as her faithful friend fought against the snow and broke to the surface once more. Glancing around, she saw something further down the avalanche being carried swiftly away from them, a person!

"Shang!" She cried out, unthinkingly turning Khan's head and using the avalanche's current to plunge after him as quickly as they could. Shang was lighter than they were and was moving fast with the snow, headed directly towards a cliff! Urging Khan faster Mulan watched with her heart in her throat as they came closer and closer to the cliff's edge.

Finally they drew even with him. Leaning far over, Mulan wrapped an arm around Shang's limp body and used all her strength to haul him up onto Khan. God! He was heavy! Thank goodness for all of her training! She got him situated in front of her, draped on his stomach across Khan's back.

Khan was fighting the snow with everything he had but they weren't gaining any ground. He was holding them in place but just barely. Mulan had no clue how they were going to get out of this!

"Hey Mulan! I found the lucky cricket!"

Mushu. If he had been any other dragon he could have gotten them out of here but no, he was just Mushu.

"We need help!" She yelled over the roar of the snow. Maybe he could come up with an idea? He had been sent by her ancestors after all…

An arrow! An arrow with a rope attached had just whizzed into the snow right next to them! Moving quickly, Mulan tied off the rope around Khan's saddle horn, nocked the arrow to her bow, which had somehow remained in its sheathe on Khan's saddle, and let it fly with a prayer.

"AAAHHHH!" Mushu's yell was warning enough for Mulan. They were too close to the cliff. There was no time left. She felt Khan slipping backwards, suddenly at an angle.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Aw, Man, we gonna die! No way we survive this! Death is comin!"

Even as they inevitably tipped over the edge, Mulan clung to the thought that they might survive. They had to. The Gods couldn't be so cruel as to take her away from everyone she loved. Baba. Mama. Grandmama. Ling, Po, Yao and…Shang. Please not Shang. Not after all they had been through.

Everything was spinning, upside down, sideways. There was a lurching in her stomach. The sensation of falling, of gravity winning. She couldn't even scream. She just clung to Khan and to Shang. Maybe if she could hold them together they could survive.

A sudden jolt caught them, causing everything to stop. Literally. Mulan cautiously opened her eyes, not even realizing that they had been closed that whole time. Incredibly, they were suspended in midair! How…?

And then Mulan saw the rope stretched taut in front of her eyes, tied to Khan's saddle horn. The Gods had answered her prayers! Somehow, miraculously, the arrow had caught somewhere and held them but how were they going to get out of this mess?

As she had this thought, Mulan became aware of something else. Slowly, ever so slowly, they were moving…up?

"I knew we could do it!" Mushu exclaimed, "You the man! Well, sort of." Despite the situation, Mulan had to smile at Mushu's antics. Only he could crack a joke seconds after almost dying. However, her smile was dampened when she became aware of a slow, burning pain in her side that was steadily growing worse.

The first thing Shang became aware of was a swaying sensation unlike any he had experienced before. Cracking his eyes open, he was surprised to see lots of white and…were those clouds? Funny. He thought he was lying on his stomach, so how could he be seeing the sky? It took another second for the ache in his gut to register. The last time he had felt something like that, his father had flung him stomach first over a horse's back and told him to hang on for one of his more…interesting…punishments. Shaking his head, Shang tried his best to make sense of the situation he was in.

"Shang?" Ping's soft voice, sounding full of concern, came from above him. He tried to twist so he could see her but was held in place by a small hand on his back.

"Don't move. You could fall. We went over the cliff with the avalanche but the boys are pulling us up."

Was that why he was so sore? No, if they had gone over the cliff they would be dead so what the heck had happened while he was unconscious?

"Ping. You've got a lot of explaining to do, soldier." He ground out.

"Yes, Sir." Ping replied sharply. As clearly as she could she quickly summed up what had occurred during the avalanche and how they came to be in the situation they were in. By the time she was done they had been pulled up level with the cliff edge. The rest of the men, quickly pulled them off of Khan who Po managed to guide to a slightly lower place where he could get his feet back under him.

Shang and Ping collapsed to their knees in the snow, Shang trying to get his breath back after having to lay across a saddle.

"Step back, guys, give them some air!" Ling ordered, ushering for the men to do so.

"Ping!" Shang panted, "You are the craziest man I've ever met!" Hopefully his men weren't aware of how much emphasis he put on a particular word. Looking up, he met Ping's dark eyes with his own. He wanted her to see how much he meant his next words. "For that I owe you my life. From now on you have my trust." Shang placed a hand on one of her slim shoulders and squeezed gently, trying to convey all his gratitude.

"Let's hear it for Ping! The bravest of us all!" Ling shouted. The rest of the men erupted into cheers

"You're king of the mountain!" Yao added proudly

Po seemed only able to say one word over and over, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Shang stood and reached out a hand to help Ping to her feet. He smiled down at her when she looked up at him in surprise before slowly placing her hand in his. The warmth of her hand seeped into his and all Shang wanted to do in that moment was hold her close and never let go. Tonight. Tonight he would confess everything to her and then…then he would ask her the most important question a man ever asked a woman…

Shang gently pulled Ping to her feet. She stood in front of him for a moment but…something was wrong. Something wasn't right in her eyes. Even as he had this thought, Ping flinched away from him and collapsed back to the ground clutching her side.

"Ping!" Shang exclaimed in panic, following her down until he knelt in front of her once more.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, voice full of concern for his beloved. Ping's eyes were glazed over with pain. She didn't speak but she did look down at herself. Following her look, Shang watched as she pulled her hand away from her side to reveal blood, and a lot of it. Instantly, Shang knew what had happened. When Shan Yu had swung his sword at her, Ping hadn't managed to dodge the blow as he had thought. Her armor was split and who knew how much damage had actually been done? A gut wound was one of the worst a soldier could experience.

"He's wounded! Get help!" Shang yelled before turning his attention back to Ping, helping her lay down in an effort to lessen the pain.

"Ping!" Shang took her small hand in his once more and looked directly into her eyes, begging her to stay with him. "Hold on!" He whispered to her. She couldn't leave him now, he hadn't told her what he desperately needed to. "Hold on!" He softly, tenderly, lovingly whispered once more, not caring if his men heard him, not caring what they thought. He watched as Ping's eyes glazed over once more and then slowly closed as she lost her hold on consciousness.

"Captain! Captain, you're bleeding!" Ling yelled.

Shang ignored him, too intent on checking Ping's vitals to ensure that she was still with them.

"Doctor! Over here!" Another man shouted, gesturing wildly. The wagon they had left at the entrance to the pass, carrying supplies and non-military personnel must have finally caught up with them. Then the doctor was there. Shang sat back away from Ping so the doctor could start his evaluation. As he did so, a wave of dizziness swept over him and, belatedly, he remembered that he had been wounded as well. Shot. Now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off he could distinctly feel the wound, throbbing with every beat of his heart. With a groan he lay back. He knew he had pushed too far, done too much and lost too much blood but he couldn't stop now. There was still a danger. What if the men found out about Ping's identity?

"Yao! Ling!" His shout came out hoarser and fainter than he would have liked but they came.

"Captain?"

"Set up tents for the wounded. Separate one for Ping. He's most serious condition…" Crap. His words were slurring, he was worse off than he thought…

"Captain? Captain!"

"Captain!"

**End Scene.**

**Hope you liked it! More to come of course!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey Kiddos! OK, so here's the deal. I can spin this story two different ways. I can either stick to the movie's storyline as I have been doing, with some extra tidbits thrown in or I can veer further away and strike off into lands unexplored…What I think I'm going to do is continue following the movie til the end, then I'll tack on an alternative ending afterwards if I come up with something. I just have a couple vague ideas that don't quite fit in with the movie. If these notions come to fruition then I might do the alternative ending! Thank you so much for your awesome reviews! You guys are the sun and rain to the tiny sprout of this story that has taken root within my imagination! Ahem…in other words, YOU'RE AWESOME!**

Shang woke up to the low murmur of men and a white expanse over his head, extending into nothing. After a moment of trying to get his bearing, he turned his head and saw that he was laying in a tent with three other, minorly injured, men. Another man was circling through them, offering water. Groaning softly, Shang hesitantly sat up, his hand automatically coming up to touch the stiff bandages wrapped around his torso and shoulder. That's right he had been shot. Then there had been an avalanche. An avalanche that Ping had caused with a canon. Ping. Why was he filled with anxiety when he thought that name?

Suddenly, it all came rushing back. The cliff, being pulled back up, scolding Ping, then Ping falling, clutching her side, the blood! Ping was injured! Ignoring his own pain, Shang stood and found that someone had laid out his tunic and armor on the floor next to him. After a lot of tugging, wincing and throbbing pain, Shang was dressed and marching out of the tent.

"Captain! You're not supposed to be up!" Ling yelled at seeing him, "The doctor told us you needed to rest!"

"I'm fine." Shang growled out, leaving no room for argument, "Where's Ping?"

All the men in his vicinity pointed in the direction of a smaller tent set up a slight distance away.

"The doctor's been with him for the past three hours. No one's been allowed in to help." Po murmured while Yao scowled and crossed his arms defensively over his barrel of a chest.

Shang nodded his understanding then marched over to take up his post outside the tent. He was worried sick about Ping. Would she be alright? Would she survive? Shang sent a prayer up to any and all Gods and Ancestors he could think of. Surely they wouldn't let her die. She had saved his life, after all. Saved the family lineage through him…

More importantly, if she did survive, where did that leave him? At this point, his choices were limited. It would be a miracle if the doctor didn't realize his patient was female. Shang could try and convince the doctor to keep this information to himself but the man was employed by the Emperor, he was not under Shang's influence, and if Shang attempted to bribe him he could take it as an insult and report Shang's behavior to the Emperor himself.

Shang jumped to his feet and started to pace in front of the tent. He could feel all his men's eyes on him but he ignored them for now. He had a much bigger problem on his hands. He could claim that he had known about her all along, but what would that get them besides two deaths? He could swear all the men to secrecy but that still left the doctor and Chi-fu. Oh, God. Chi-fu. The man was a stickler when it came to rules, regulations or laws of any kind, even the unspoken ones. He would not stand for any lying or deceiving. To be honest, the thought of lying to the man he pledged his life to made Shang's stomach churn as well. It went against his nature and was completely dishonorable. It would bring shame upon his whole family! Maybe he could somehow place Ping under his protection…but short of forcing her to marry him how could he do that? Marriage to him. The idea did have merit…The idea of sharing a life with this amazing woman; spending every moment by her side, raising their children together; was attractive…

Ugh! What was he going to do? Time was running short. He was sure that any minute now the doctor would come storming out of that tent, demanding answers. Answers that he didn't have, couldn't have. What would his father do in this situation? Well, that was easy to answer, his father would never have put himself in this situation! He would have dealt with the problem before it arose. He would have punished the girl when he caught her during training! Or he would have at least banished her from the ranks…

Wait. Banishment. Now there was an idea…but how could he do it in a way that wouldn't cause an uproar among his men but would still satisfy Chi-fu?

Mind churning, Shang continued to pace and pace outside the tent. Several times one of his soldiers would approach him and plead for him to rest, to give himself time to heal, but he brushed them aside. His pain was nothing compared to what was happening to Ping. What was going to happen.

The sun was beginning to lower itself behind the mountain ridges when the doctor finally emerged from the tent. The man looked exhausted but motioned for Shang to come speak to him. This was it. Now all Shang could do was play the part and hope for forgiveness.

"Captain." The doctor began, his voice calm, almost soothing, but very, very tired, "Your soldier will pull through. With plenty of rest, I expect a full recovery." Shang sighed in relief, one weight taken off his shoulders.

"However." The doctor continued cautiously, "I'm afraid I do have some shocking news. Your soldier is not who you believe him to be." Shang raised an eyebrow, waiting for the inevitable. "Your soldier…is female."

Shang allowed his body to react. He had known the doctor would find out but it still felt like he had punched him in the gut with his words and he allowed it to show. Reeling back, Shang forced shock to his face. The doctor's face showed sympathy.

"I will have to inform Chi-fu, as the Emperor's Counsel."

"I understand. Please give me a moment with him…her…before you do so."

The doctor inclined his head as Shang pushed past him and entered the tent.

Ping lay still and pale on her sleeping mat, her eyes closed with dark circles beneath them. As he watched her, she stirred and her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing their dark depths. Upon seeing him, she attempted to push herself up into a sitting position and give him a small reassuring smile. When she did, her movements dislodged the blanket that covered her and sent it sliding down to her waist. Unbidden, Shang's eyes followed the movement. He saw white wrappings around her middle and across her chest, giving her some modesty. Following his gaze, Ping glanced down and with a gasp gathered the blanket back up to her chin.

"I can explain." She stated. She didn't bother deepening her voice to the pitch she had been using for her disguise. She knew she was caught. Her natural voice was still deeper than he had been expecting, possessing a husky quality that could drive any man to insanity.

"As much as I would love to hear it, we don't have time. Now, listen carefully."

Ping's eyes flew up to his face and whatever color had been in her cheeks was gone.

"You knew?" She whispered, eyes wide in horror.

"That doctor is going to report you to Chi-fu. I've only bought us a very small window of time before he does so. I've thought through every option we have and can only think of one solution to this problem that doesn't end in your death."

"You've known all along?" Ping appeared to be in some sort of shock.

"Yes, Ping. Yes. I've known for quite a while now."

"All those times you tried to send me home…"

"Yes. That was me trying to protect you from events such as these."

"And the…" Here her cheeks flushed red, "the tent…"

"I couldn't very well have you sleep with men who didn't know and risk them discovering your secret and spreading it all over camp, now could I? Now. Listen. To. Me. I have a plan that could save your life but it will require you to trust me."

Ping sat, staring silently down at her lap. Shang couldn't decipher her thoughts but they simply didn't have time for this. Reaching out, he took hold of her shoulders and gave her a small shake.

"Ping. Do you trust me?"

"What?" She asked, sounding dazed.

"Do you trust me?" Shang repeated patiently.

"Yes?" She answered, sounding confused.

"Good. Whatever you do, don't fight your fate. Don't argue. Just, please, trust me." Shang released his hold on her just as the tent flap was thrown open and Chi-fu marched in, full of righteous fury.

"So it's true!" He exclaimed, upon seeing Ping covering her chest with the blanket, vulnerable and open for scrutiny on her sleeping mat. Shang hardened his expression into an emotionless mask before turning his back and marching out of the tent, leaving Chi-fu to do as he pleased, even though it nearly killed him to do so.

"Shang!" Ping called out behind him, sounding strangely…resigned?

Shang marched through his men, refusing to look or speak to them. He heard a struggle from within the tent and turned to see Chi-fu drag Ping out of the tent. Ping clung to the blanket around her even as Chi-fu yanked on her wrists to pull her after him.

"I _knew_ there was something wrong with you!" He exclaimed, as if it had been he to make the discovery. With rough hands, the man yanked Ping's hair out of her topknot, allowing it to spill down to her shoulders in all its midnight glory. "A woman!" He announced, yanking her up to her feet for all the men to see her identity before throwing her down into the snow, despite her injury. She landed hard enough to audibly force the air from her lungs and Shang had to work hard not to pull back his fist and slam it into Chi-fu's smug little face.

"Treacherous snake!" Chi-fu hissed. Shang clenched his fists and turned his back. This was going to be harder than he had thought. If Chi-fu kept up with his treatment towards the girl, Shang wouldn't be able to hold it together long enough to go through with his plan. As it was, it took all he had not to just kill the man.

"My name is Mulan."

Mulan. So at last he knew her true identity. A little too late. Everything was a little too late.

"I did it to save my father."

God. All he wanted to do was hold her safe in his arms and never let her go.

"High treason!" Chi-fu shouted, making his point clear and unmistakable.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far!"

No? How far had she meant to take it? How far had she expected to be able to go?

"Ultimate dishonor!" Chi-fu spat in disgust.

"It was the only way!" Ping, no…Mulan, shouted, her voice full of desperation, "Please, believe me!"

Oh, he believed her. How could he not? He had lost his heart to her a long time ago. He knew the fear of losing a parent. He was glad she didn't have to know the _pain_ of losing one as well, but now she was going through one of the worst trials she would ever have to face. But, as she said, this was the only way.

"Hmph!" Chi-fu sniffed, "Captain?" Shang turned and eyed the pompous ass who stood at his side, fully expecting punishment and retribution for this terrible crime that had occurred right beneath his ugly nose. It wasn't just an affront to the Emperor's army, it was a personal affront to him, in his eyes. Then Shang turned his attention to Mulan, kneeling in the snow, looking so small, so vulnerable, so alone. Her blanket the only thing covering her from her comrades' gazes.

Keeping his face carefully blank, Shang turned once more and pulled her father's sword from its sheath hung off of Khan's saddle. The horse was smart, he knew a threat to his master when he saw one. Distantly, he heard Chi-fu order for the beast to be restrained. He heard his men gasp in horror as he slowly marched towards Mulan, the love of his life, blade in hand. Despite her trickery and lies, they still showed loyalty to her. There was hope for his plan.

Standing over her small form, Shang met her eyes with his own. He saw no fear, only resignation. Despite his earlier words in the tent, she thought her life was forfeit. She was willing to accept the consequences and die for her choices. The thought nearly brought Shang to his knees. Before he could do anything stupid that would give them away. He raised the blade, watched as her eyes closed and her head bent in recognition of the choice she thought he had made.

Enough was enough. He brought the blade down…

And threw it into the snow before her. She stared up at him, her eyes filled with sharp relief. He held her eyes with his.

"A life for a life. My debt is repaid." He made sure to say it loud enough for all in his company to hear. Now, for the hardest part of his plan. Turning his back to her once more, he gave his order and felt his heart tear to pieces.

"Move out."

Everyone stood in absolute stillness as he forced himself to march away from the girl. Of course, Chi-fu would be the one to break that silence.

"Wait! But you just can't…!" Shang shot him a glare so full of hate Chi-fu, for once, shut his mouth. In fact, if Shang didn't know any better, the look the man directed at Mulan might have been full of…guilt? Guilt for his thoughtless accusations? His inability to feel empathy? His natural tendency to blaze forward with no regard for the fate of those he trampled? Well, it was a little too late for that, wasn't it? The damage was already done.

Keeping his movements as controlled as possible so as to avoid any…unfortunate…accidents, Shang grabbed the man by the front of his fancy coat and hauled him up so they were eye to eye.

"I said. Move out."

**Whoa, intense! Hope y'all liked it. Some of you may have noticed that I quoted another wonderful Disney creation within this chapter. Invisible cookies to whoever is first to tell me which one ;) As always reviews are welcomed with joy, love and a few tears of happiness! Thank you for reading!**


	31. Chapter 32

**Hey guys,**

**I have some extremely sad news. Our family's best friend passed away yesterday. She was only 17. She went to turn into our church and a truck behind her wasn't paying attention. When she stopped to let a person in the other lane go past, he didnt. The truck crushed her jeep and pushed it 100 yards down the road before stopping. She was flown to Regions and was pronounced gone after a grueling 9 hours. Marissa is survived by her parents, three older brothers and two younger brothers. She is remembered as the sweetest, kindest girl anyone had ever met who loved to fill her life with color and laughter, song and dance. She lived to help others and make their lives a little brighter. We will miss her so...so much. I will miss her, she was our dearest friend, and now she's gone.**

**Forgive me if I don't continue this story for a while. I don't know if I can at the moment.**


	32. Chapter 33

**Hi everyone. First of all, I would like to thank you all for your loving support. I really appreciate all your messages, they helped me a lot. An update: Marissa's family is adjusting well, considering all that has happened. They are an incredible example of strength, love and endurance for all of us. To show my appreciation and to follow the Greenebaum's example, I'm attempting to write again. Please enjoy.**

Captain Lee Shang led his troops out of the mountains in stern silence. His men followed his example. Yes, they had just fought against incredible odds and come away victorious without one man losing his life but in their minds there was no reason to celebrate. Their minds (and hearts) were still back in those mountains with the person they had been forced to leave behind.

And so it was with a somber air and slumped shoulders that they marched into the Imperial City. They were surrounded by joyous, smiling people in a great crowd that had come to greet the Heroes of China but not a one cracked even a small smile. They didn't feel like heroes, they felt like they were betrayers. It was as though they had just stabbed their comrade in the back and then taken all the glory for themselves and they refused to revel in it. All except Chi-fu, of course. The man was determined to enjoy the moment of fame and he put on a cheerful façade for his audience. Or maybe it wasn't simply a façade, maybe the man really was that self-absorbed so as to have completely forgotten the role he played in banishing the one who truly deserved this crowd's admiration.

Shang, for his part, barely even registered that they had finally reached the Imperial City. He wasn't aware of anything except the sound of his heart breaking over and over in his mind. He had left his beloved, injured and alone, to fend for herself in the cold, dangerous mountains with nothing but a small provision of food, her horse and the clothes on her back. Oh, he supposed she had her sword as well, and yes, he had trained her on how to survive in the wilderness but that didn't change the fact that he had turned his back on her and left her!

He had done it so that she could live. He had given her the one chance to do so but in him doing so he had probably destroyed any chance of a future with her. Even if she did survive the mountains and the long trek back to her home, there was no way she would forgive him. No way would she look at him with anything but loathing. To Ping -no, Mulan- he was probably as good as dead in her eyes.

They had almost reached the Palace, the Heart of the City, when the sound of racing hooves coming from behind them reached their ears. Shang looked up in time to see a vision galloping directly towards him through the crowd.

"Shang!"

"Mulan?" This couldn't be real, could it? But there she was, astride Kahn, looking none the worse for wear for her brief stay in the mountains, still dressed in her military tunic and trousers. This time, however, her hair was unbound; falling to touch her shoulders and declaring to the world that she was, in fact, female. Without hesitation she directed Kahn until she drew up next to him. Shang was too stunned to speak but Mulan wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

"The Huns are alive! They're in the City!"

Shang could feel his men's eyes on him. He knew what he was expected to do, how he was supposed to react. In his mind, he heard the harsh words he was supposed to say.

_You don't belong here, Mulan. Go home._

Could he do it? Could he say the words?

Taking his silence as disbelief, either in her or her words, Mulan continued to speak.

"Shang, I saw them in the mountains. You _have_ to believe me!"

Before he could even stop and think, words exploded from his mouth but they weren't the ones he wanted to say.

"Why should I?" Even he could hear the bitterness in his tone, but it wasn't for the reason everyone thought. They thought he felt betrayed by her lies but he was more angry with himself than anything else. Unfortunately, Mulan couldn't read his thoughts. He saw her face harden into a glare as she forced Kahn to block his path; in turn forcing him to come to a complete stop; and braced himself for her cutting retort.

"Why else would I come back?" _Ouch. _That hurt more than she could possibly know. "You said you trust Ping. Why is Mulan any different?"

Shang knew he deserved that. It didn't mean it hurt any less.

**POV Change**

Mulan knew she deserved some of the blame for Shang's lack of trust, after all, she had lied to him about who she truly was. Then again, at some point along the way he had figured it out but kept that little fact to himself. She had figured that they could say they were even. Apparently Shang did not feel that way and his hard words stung. Never-the-less, she knew she had to stick this out. She knew what she had seen in the mountains, now was not the time to gripe about each other's actions. What passed was past and she needed Shang to see that.

"You said you trust Ping. Why is Mulan any different?" She asked, trying to guilt him into taking action. Instead, all he did was stare at her as if he was trying to tell her something. What, she wasn't sure and she didn't have time to try and figure it out. None of them did. Suddenly, Shang was moving. He urged his mount around Kahn and made to continue his march to the Palace. As he passed her, however, she heard him murmur just loud enough for her to hear over the horses' hooves,

"Do you trust _me_?"


	33. Chapter 34

**Hey Guys, sorry for the long wait. I know it's short. I was planning on finishing this all up in a couple chapters but I'm just not feeling all that inspired at the moment and this is as far as I've gotten. I figure better to post something than nothing at all, right? I will finish this, it just might be a little slower than any of us figured. Thanks for holding on and riding out the storm. I hope you like it!**

Shang reached the grand stairs leading up to the Royal Palace. Dismounting, he untied Shan Yu's sword from his saddle. Balancing the sword on his palms, he continued on foot. His men followed him, as did the dragon that had trailed their footsteps since they entered the city, making their procession a parade of sorts in celebration of their victory. Shang lost count of how many stairs he climbed but after what seemed like forever he reached the top. He had kept a sharp eye out for anyone who might have been a Hun but hadn't seen any signs of them yet. He needed to get close to the Emperor in order to protect him. The best way to do that would be to present the sword directly to him then get him barricaded within the palace as quickly and smoothly as possible. His men were smart, they would follow his lead without hollered orders. The trick would be to do it in a way that the Huns wouldn't realize until it was too late to do anything.

The drums boomed out a slow, formal beat, causing the very air to vibrate around him. Shang could see the Emperor emerging from the palace surrounded by important servants. The elder man descended the stairs, matching each of his strides to the beat of the drums. He certainly had a flair for the dramatic. The servants bowed low and retreated. Shang knelt out of deep respect to the Emperor as the man approached. He kept his attention focused on the people and buildings around them. With one last deep _GONG! _silence fell across all those gathered.

"My children! Heaven smiles down upon the Ming Kingdom! China will sleep safely tonight, thanks to our brave warriors!" The Emperor called in a surprisingly powerful voice and a flair of his long, flowing sleeves.

"Your Highness." Shang started formally, "I present to you the sword of Shan Yu." In a lower voice, meant only for their ears he continued, "My Lord, I fear your life is in danger. Some of the Hun army managed to survive and are somewhere in the City. We need to get you to a safe location."

The Emperor nodded once in recognition of Shang's words but pitched his voice so others could hear what he said, "I know what this means to you Captain Lee Shang. Your father would be very proud." Shang closed his eyes briefly at the still painful reminder of his father's fate. He wasn't so sure his recent actions would gain him his father's approval but he was determined to make it right.

Raising the sword he offered the blade for the Emperor to accept. As he did so a familiar sound, the scream of a falcon, ripped through the air. Looking up, Shang could only watch in shock as the bird came streaking through the air and grabbed the blade directly out of his hands. The Emperor recoiled and took a step back, Shang leapt to his feet and followed the bird's path up, up, up to the peak of one of the Palace's steeply pitched roofs. There, the bird dropped the blade. As it fell, one of the hunched, stone dragons guarding the palace seemed to come to life. A large hand reached up and caught the sword by its handle. Shang instinctively went for his own sword as the rest of the man moved and stood so that he was clearly visible to all. Shan Yu.

Mulan was too far away to do anything. She was forced to watch helplessly as the head of the dragon erupted into chaos. She saw Shang turn and block the attack but not soon enough. Horror filled her as she saw him fall. The others rushed to help but they were too late. All of those assembled saw their Emperor caught up by the enemy and dragged back into the depths of his palace. Shan Yu's triumphant laugh swept across the courtyard from where he stood, basking in his own superior might. Mulan's heart screamed as she shoved her way through the horrified crowd. Shang couldn't be dead, he couldn't be! NO!


	34. Chapter 35

**Hello everyone. I'm so sorry. It's been way too long. Time got away from me with starting a new job and all, but I'm better grounded now and I will do my best to be more regular with my updates. Special thanks go out to all those who left me those wonderful, uplifting reviews. I know I've said it before but I can't say it enough. You guys are the very best and I can't thank you enough. We're so close to the end now, there's no way I'm going to stop!**

Mulan shoved her way through the crowd, not caring who got in the way. She had to get to the Palace! She prayed to all of her ancestors and any Gods she could remember. She needed Shang to be alright.

"Hey! Young woman, get back here!"

"Stop that girl!"

A pair of palace guards at the base of the stairs had caught sight of her as she slipped past. She couldn't be stopped now! Putting everything she had into it, she forced herself to run up the stairs, forced her legs to continue on even when they screamed at her to stop. Luckily for her, the guards were weighed down by full armor. Slowly, slowly, she was able to pull away from them. Any time she was able to buy with her speed was more time she could spend finding Shang.

She reached the top just as a massive, booming, crash resounded across the square. Instinctively, Mulan ducked and spun towards the source of the sound. A group of men had lifted one of the huge statues guarding the palace doors and were using it as a battering ram. To Mulan's intense relief, she was able to spot Shang in their midst. He was alive!

The battering ram was a good idea but…

"They'll never reach the Emperor in time." Mulan muttered to herself as she caught her breath, her panic receding upon knowing Shang and her friends were safe. Her eyes traveled over the palace thoughtfully, looking for weaknesses. The huge red pillars supporting the roof caught and held her attention, something tugged at her memory…

"Hey!"

The guards had caught up! With no time to waste Mulan put two fingers to her lips and let go a piercing whistle. "Hey guys!" The men holding the statue paused and looked over to where she stood.

"I've got an idea." Mulan let her gaze move to Shang's, holding his for a second before flicking her eyes to the stairs where the sounds of the approaching guards could be heard. Shang's expression didn't change but he did share a glance and a subtle nod with Po, Ling and Yao, who were all staring at him expectantly. At his signal, all three men abruptly dropped their hold on the statue and took off after Mulan, who was already making her way around the corner of the palace.

Shang let a small smile grace his face. She was putting her trust in him. Without any verbal communication between them, he knew she wanted him to stall the guards so she could put her plan into action. Shang just hoped that whatever she had in mind would be enough to tip the scale in their favor.

"Hey…" Two puffing guards stood at the top of the stairs, "Did you see…a girl run past… just now? This area is prohibited to civilians and…"

"The Emperor's life is at stake and you think I care about one civilian girl?" Shang asked harshly, "Forget the girl. Get over here and help my men knock this door down. We can't waste any more time and we need as much manpower as we can get!"

The chastened guards immediately bowed their heads and with quick, 'yes Captain!'s took their places in the openings Po, Ling and Yao had left in their wake.

Now the rest was up to Mulan. Shang prayed she would be safe.

With the boys in tow, Mulan ran around the edge of the palace, searching for anything that might help with her evolving plan. As they rounded yet another corner of the massive building they spotted a small group hurrying away from the palace.

"What's that about?" Yao muttered.

"Don't know but it might be worth checking out." Mulan answered quietly, then she raised her voice, "Halt! Who goes there?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" A woman's voice cried out in relief, "You have to help us! These terrible men invaded the palace. We barely made it out alive!"

"Who are you?" Po asked in his gentle manner.

"We are…servants. We work in the palace." Another woman answered. There was a slight hesitation in her voice but Mulan didn't have time to figure out why. Her plan was now fully formulated with the appearance of the women.

"Ladies. We are part of Captain Lee's fighting force. It is our job to infiltrate the palace. Will you help us?" She explained quickly, her voice automatically deepening to Ping's.

"Of course. Whatever you need, soldier, we will try to be of help." A third woman answered from the shadows.

"Excellent." Mulan cast her eye over the group of women, there were five in all, and then shot a slightly wicked grin in her friends' direction.

Twenty minutes later found five women dressed as soldiers standing before three men dressed as women, putting on the final touches to their makeup. The women were smothering their giggles as the men tried to put up with their treatment stoically, biting back the moaning they really wanted to do.

_This is for the Emperor. Do this and we'll be heroes._

Mulan could practically hear the thoughts in their heads as they grimaced and scrunched their faces up in an effort to remain where they were. Shaking her head in amusement, she continued surveying the surrounding area. Absolute secrecy was key if this was going to work.

Shang paused at the corner of the palace. He could hear voices, just out of sight. They sounded like…women? Deciding to risk a peak, he carefully edged closer until he caught sight of four figures, who were roughly the same height and build of his missing soldiers, except they appeared to be wearing kimonos!

"Alright guys, that's the plan. Let's get this done. The Emperor's life is on the line. We cannot fail."

Now that was a voice he would recognize anywhere. Making his decision, Shang approached the group just as all of them approached a supporting pillar near their persons. He watched in fascination as they each removed their sashes and wrapped them around the pillar in front of them. This certainly looked familiar. Pin…Mulan was closest to him so he reached out and gently tapped her shoulder.

She swung her head around in surprise and watched with wide eyes as he removed his ceremonial cape and copied their movements. With a nod and smiles all around, the five began the climb.

** Hope you all liked it! I really wish I could have incorporated the idea of Shang dressing up as a woman too but it unfortunately didn't fit into the time line. Thank you, though, Honest Beauty. It was a fantastic idea and I really tried to run with it ****J**

** Oh! I've also started beta-reading this wonderful story called Bride and Prejudice written by 3431jess. I highly recommend it. Jess has put a lot of work into it and I have a feeling it will really take off!**

** Thank you again for all your fantastic support. Until we read again!**


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